


Borne of the Stars

by SilverWhiteRaven



Series: Krypto-Marinette AUs [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DC Super Hero Girls (Cartoon 2019), DCU, Maribat - Fandom, Miraculous Ladybug, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Everyone is Bi/Pan and You Can't Stop Me, F/F, F/M, Full-Krypto AU, Félix is a Luthor, Gen, Kara is such a butch and I love her, Karanette, Kryptonian AU, MariBat, Marinette is Kryptonian, No Beta we Die like Chat Noir, this is gonna be a mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:07:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 26,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWhiteRaven/pseuds/SilverWhiteRaven
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng was a normal girl with a normal life. 'Was' being the proper tense. Her family took a trip to Metropolis in the States while waiting for the renovations of their bakery to be completed. An unlucky encounter with danger and the two Kryptonian cousins of Earth one day leads to a reveal that means Marinette shares a very similar past with the Superhero duo. Almost at the same time she learns it, she becomes a Superhero, too. Oh, what a mess...
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Félix, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Félix Graham de Vanily, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kara Danvers | Kara Zor-El | Supergirl, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kara Danvers | Kara Zor-El | Supergirl
Series: Krypto-Marinette AUs [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1702447
Comments: 127
Kudos: 414





	1. It Begins.

Many things began to change for Marinette Dupain-Cheng when she was 14. Specifically, the great domino chain was set off in the summer before her last year of collège. She would not notice the change that had come until an entire year later, but it was that summer in particular that started it all. Her entire life was about to be irrevocably altered forever, all because her family’s bakery needed a renovation, and chose America to vacation to while it happened.

~~~

Marinette steps out of the elevators into the hotel lobby, a black accented pink messenger bag slung over her shoulder, and glancing around for her parents. It was late morning and they had been dealing with calls from Paris involving the Dupain-Cheng Bakery’s renovations. 

Her parents had purchased the connecting building behind the bakery, planning to move the kitchens back into the new area and expanding the front of the bakery enough for both extra displays and a café sitting area. Even the menu was getting an extension, including drinks, to go along with the new look. 

However, the contractors were having a bit of trouble involving the building’s supports, and it was unfortunately taking time out of the family’s down-time. 

Marinette found Tom and Sabine standing in a corner of the large lobby, back to back like they were ready to take on the world together, phones to their ears as they talked away. Their daughter smiled at the image of them and walked up, kissing their cheeks in greeting as they leaned down to meet her like it was second nature. Not once did they break a beat in their conversations. 

“I’m going to go explore,” she states to them, quiet enough not to distract them but enough for them to hear. “One of the city parks is nearby and I've been dying to check it out. I’ll be back later, call me if you need me to come back sooner or want to join me when you're done. Is that alright?”

Both her parents smiled proudly at her and nodded in unison, Marinette beaming right back at them. With a final wave goodbye, she turned on her heel and sprinted out the door with excitement.

Metropolis was such a bright and beautiful city in her eyes, and it only helped that it was protected by one of the most awesome beings on the planet. 

The dark, gloomy city of Gotham and its equally awesome vigilantes only a scant few hours away certainly helped in giving the sunny city some extra contrast, too. 

Just thinking about the heroes though gave her a mixed sweet and sour taste. Superman and the Bats certainly tickled at her sense of style as a designer plenty often, and having come to one of the very cities they resided in did nothing to ease it. 

Alya had been no help when she first joined their school the year before, either. The first thing she had done was bring up heroes. It hasn't been until then that Marinette had started really paying attention to the masked people and their choice in clothing. Casual and semi-formal had been her forté then, but now, supersuits had become a large part of her hobby as a way to get more creative. As well as to ease her frustrations at all the heroes and villains and their range of great to terrible fashion choices that Alya would bring up on a regular daily basis. 

However, the designer could admit that in recent years, the heroes, and some villains, were getting better with their costumes. She could also admit that, looking through the eyes of past generations and their preferred fashions, the heroes had been rather on point and with their times. And like the good heroes and vigilantes they are, they evolved with the times and switched things up before they became nonredeemable. To Marinette’s eyes, anyways. 

But there's always room for improvement. And today was a great day to be inspired to make them.

Marinette stepped into the park with a wide grin, looking around at all the proof of life it was filled with. Most of the benches were filled; joggers taking breaks, parents keeping eyes on their children, and office workers leisurely eating lunch.

She looked up past the trees to see a clear view of one of the most well known and iconic buildings in the entire city: The Daily Planet. Grinning and giggling out of excitement, she picked up her pace and beelined for the side of the park closest to the building. There was nothing like the most well known place to spot the local superhero in order to get inspiration for redesigning his suit.

Finding a vacant bench with a clear view of the Daily Planet, Marinette lays her bag on her lap and pulls out her sketchpad, sticking a few extra pencils over her ear and into her hair so she wouldn't have to stop and sharpen one when it goes dull.

She sat there sketching away, occasionally looking up again before resuming her task. It took a bit of time before she noticed the occasional odd whistling in the air, an odd pitch between that of a plane high above and one you’d hear from something small and fast like an arrow. As she glanced up once more as the sound grew loud enough to take note of, she had to blink, unsure if she really saw something streaking through the air above the tower. 

Marinette stood and squinted, setting her bag and sketchbook to the side. She took a step forward, shielding her eyes from the sun and continued to stare.

Then the sound returned once more, and before she could question it and look for the streak she was about to hope was the local superhero, a loud  _ clang _ could be heard, ringing through the air like a warped bell toll of Big Ben.

Her eyes went wide as she took a half step back and realized the Daily Planet’s  _ planet _ had  _ shifted _ , and was moving forwards towards her side of the tower. Her body froze and tensed as it continued to tilt.

Then she just,  _ reacted _ .

“ _ Everyone, MOVE _ !!” Marinette bellowed as loud as she could, for once in her life channeling the commanding voice of her mother and the volume of her father. 

“ _T_ __H_ E TOWER IS COMING DOWN _ ,” she continued to yell, and she watched as the message was received by those out in the open, and the message quickly spread. She was a bit relieved to see that they were managing to stay level-headed despite the panic that was undoubtedly rising. 

She then rushed forward into the middle of the four laned street, signalling to drivers of the cars that couldn't hear her. “ _ GET OUT OF THE WAY _ !!” It was agonizing to continue watching above, the golden sphere moments from tumbling off its remaining perch, as she motioned for the vehicles to turn back. She was once more relieved to see that those who got stuck were evacuating their cars before they got desperate behind the wheel.

In one last check, she saw an older teen stepping out of the building, earbuds in his ears, face downcast into a book. 

“ _ Oh no _ ,” she breathes out, and breaks into a sprint for him. 

When she reaches him, hearing the final creaks of the orb above and a crash as it falls down and smashes one and then another of the corners of the tower’s step-like upper levels, she slams his book closed and shoved it into his chest, startling him, a headphone falling from his ear. 

“ _ Move, _ ” she says breathlessly, and his blue-green eyes widen in comprehension as a third crash sounds out, and a chunk of rubble falls to the ground behind her. She shoved him backwards, back into the lobby of the Daily Planet. He stumbles and falls as she steps back to balance herself out from having pushed him too hard. 

The doors close and she’s too late to follow as another, larger chunk of building falls between her and safety, more coming down all around. 

Looking up, she sees the brass sphere fully overshadowing the sky, finally free-falling right for her.

Marinette barely manages to slide behind another huge fallen chunk and between two of the building’s outcropping walls before the Daily Planet’s signature symbol comes crashing down into the ground. 


	2. Safe, for Now.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There they are, the Soups! Supes? Eh, sounds the same. Either way, it's time Marinette meets them, and a little progress is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okk, so this was SUPPOSED to be a 'Kara is like a Big Sister/Mentor' fic, but unforeseen influences have caused me to swap out the intended Kara from the Supergirl TV series for the Kara in the DC Super Hero Girls 2019 cartoon. Basically... I've become a Karanette shipper and it's now the current shipping goal. Don't worry, it probably won't become the main focus of the fic, likely a slow-burn, and the endgame ship MIGHT change depending on how things go. And Marinette still gets her mentoring from Kara, just, a lot more awkwardly at first. Now, onward!!

Marinette fell back against a corner of the wall, the ground shaking under her feet and causing her to lose her footing. The large piece of debris she had taken refuge behind shifted as more pieces of cement and stone fell against it, creating a makeshift lean-to that protected her from the rest of the falling chunks of building. Unfortunately, as the ground settled and the rain of Daily Planet rubble ceased, it left her buried and swallowed in darkness. 

She held her breath, waiting, listening for her shelter to start collapsing in on her, but it held. She sighed, and when she took a breath, coughed as the grainy dust filled her lungs. As she fully collapsed to the ground, she quickly shrugged off her outer-shirt and held it over her nose and mouth, tying it in place behind her head. A few more clear breaths, and she settled down fully. 

Now was not the time to panic, she knew that, but it didn't stop her heart from hammering in instinctual fear of potential injury. Or worse… 

The reverberations of a yell knocked her from her panicked musings, and she looked up, though there was nothing for her to see but more darkness. The voice was rather clear, though, as though it was being made to travel far and through any obstacle, even the broken pieces of a building.

“ _ Kal! _ Did you get the bastard who hit the Daily Planet?” 

The voice was feminine with a hint of a husky tone, and Marinette automatically pictured them as someone who would fit well with combat-style boots and a jean or leather jacket. Though something seemed a tad familiar about the name Kal.

“Language, Supergirl, but yes. They’re currently in D.E.O. hands, they can handle things from here.”

_ Supergirl? _ Now that was a name she recognized a bit more. Alya had raved about her the moment she finished explaining who Majestia was after she first transferred to their school almost a year ago. The hero was a fresh new mystery by all of half a year at that point, appearing both on her own as well as alongside Superman. The reporter had gone on a tangent about seeing signs of Supergirl not getting the credit she was due, her accomplishments often credited to the more well known Superman. 

Yet it explained why she recognized the name, ‘Kal’. It was what Supergirl was often heard calling the other hero. ‘Kal-El’ was the full name, if her memory of Alya-brand hero-rants was correct, revealed some years back by other aliens of his same origin hellbent on attempting world domination. 

“Oh, goodie,” Supergirl declared. “Then we can do a final sweep for anyone in need of saving, right?” 

“Of course. Did you already clear this area?” Superman questioned, and there was an answering scoff. 

“Yeah, I was just getting to it. All the civilians seemed to have cleared out when the planet started falling, I don’t-” She cut off, and there was a moment of silence when Marinette realized she could have been calling for help. 

_ No, scratch that _ , she thought as she took another breath that smelled of gravel. Supergirl called out once more, “ _ Superman _ ,” voice now laced with a newfound urgency, “ _ there’s someone trapped under there. _ ”  _ No calling for help,  _ Marinette’s internal musing concluded,  _ damaging my lungs when the heroes are already here is a stupid idea _ .

“Where?” Superman’s voice was instantly attentive, clearly ready to take action.

“Up against the building,” Supergirl answered, just as ready. “Do you see her?”

A pause, and then, “Yeah, I see her, let’s move, we need to get her out.”

“Already on it,” came Supergirl's proclamation, accompanied by a loud, metallic creaking.

“Need any-”

“Nope, I got this baby cousin!” There was a loud sigh in response to that, though the scrape of moving concrete made it clear that the banter wasn't getting in their way of working.

“I’m older than you,” he grumbled, not as loudly as before, but it was closer now to Marinette, and still said clearly enough for her to hear.

“Not according to our birthdays back home!” Supergirl sing-songed, though clearly much further away now, and it was punctuated by another dulled clang of metal. Marinette assumed that the hero had just finished moving the large decorative brass planet over into the open area of the park, out of the way. 

A grunt is Superman’s response to the tease, and more stone grinds together loudly as it’s moved. It only takes a moment before the noise is joined by more from another section, and Marinette relaxes just a bit knowing that both superheroes are working to free her. She wishes she could help them, but she knew the best way to do that was to stay put and not touch anything that could collapse her shelter onto her head. 

Marinette coughed again as a dusting of debris sprinkled down on her head, and the external digging from Supergirl’s side seemed to get just a bit faster, closely followed by Superman’s. 

A crack of light split the darkness from above her on her right, and Marinette couldn't help but crack a smile at the excited whoop Supergirl let out as the hole grew a little larger. It wasn't long before the area around the main piece of concrete shielding Marinette was clear enough for the big chunk to be shifted from above her and completely uncover her little space of safety. 

A head of shoulder length, ruffled blonde hair popped up from behind the slab of concrete, grinning triumphantly down at Marinette. The accompanying steel blue eyes shone just as brightly. “Why hello there, cutie,” Supergirl greeted, “need a hand?”

Marinette barely had time to comprehend what the other teen said and blush brilliantly through the dust in embarrassment before the slab was once more moving. It tilted away as Supergirl released it, and a slight grunt could be heard from Superman, most likely now the one supporting all its weight. It continued to shift until it was fully lifted up, and Superman, indeed carrying it, was moving it away to the edge of the debris field. 

Supergirl, floating in the air, flew closer to Marinette, smile more toned down but still warm and welcoming. The hero reached out a hand towards her and elaborated, “Let’s get you out of all these rocks, darlin’.” Her voice has a brief accent on the last word, and Marinette bets it to be a picked up trait. “It really can't be all that comfortable, yeah?” the hero finally adds. 

With a hesitant nod, Marinette reaches back towards the hero. She can’t help but yelp as she’s tugged up to her feet. Then she yelps once more as Supergirl dips down further and pulls Marinette forward even more, straight into the hero’s arms where she's held securely against Supergirl as she floats back upward.

She clung tightly to the hero, and Marinette’s eyes widened as she looked down, staring at all the destruction littering the once clear street. She looks upwards, and can see the damage to the Daily Planet’s upper levels. She’s drawn back to the debris as Superman rejoins them, giving a cursory glance to his cousin and her charge before making quick work of the remaining mess that sat in the way of the main doors to the Daily Planet’s lobby. 

“Uhm,” Marinette spoke up hesitantly, glancing at Supergirl, still holding her and flying above the mess. “Should we-?”

“Help? Nah, Soup’s a big boy, he’s got this; I wouldn't worry about it.  _ Besides,  _ Buttercup, I doubt he would let you help anyways, after being trapped like that. I sure wouldn't. And if I was in your place, I wouldn't be wanting to, either.”

_ Gods, what's with all the nicknames? _ Marinette couldn't help her continued, everlasting embarrassment at the whole situation, and the nicknames didn't help much. She at least found solace in realizing they were likely just a force of habit in the hero, seeing as how she was calling Superman by various ones, too. 

She went back to watching the older hero working below them, clearing a quick path from the doors into the clearer areas. Her brow furrowed just a bot, it seemed like they had dropped back down a bit in the air, but not by much. 

Superman was quick to join them in the air once done, and they flew higher as though it was the superheroes’ unconscious instinct to do so, just to get some distance from the civilians. Marinette held tighter to Supergirl just in case.

“This was the only area with substantial damage from the fight,” Superman finally declares to Supergirl once they’re comfortable. “I’ll do a quick sweep of the city for any more trapped civilians, but we should be good from here on. Think you can handle her?” He gives an acknowledging nod to Marinette, and she shrinks a bit at the unexpected attention. 

“Oh, yeah,” was the confident reply as Supergirl held her just a little bit closer, and Marinette hoped it was just her imagination that the hero’s hold on her had been looser than it had started before the grip tightened. The closer hold still elicited a soft squeak from Marinette, and she was grateful that they either didn't notice or didn’t mind enough to point it out by saying something or looking at her. “I can handle this little sweetheart, no worries! Go do your hero thing.”

“Are you sure?” He checked, looking skeptical, but in a cautious way rather than one that was actually doubtful. It made sense, if Supergirl really was still green behind the ear with superheroing, he would need to make sure his mentoring was sticking.

“Did you check her for injuries?” He asked imploringly, clearly covering the bases he was used to.

“Oh! Right! Sapphire!” The addition of yet another nickname to the growing collection was giving the situation an odd sense of normalcy, and Marinette gave Supergirl a questioning look in answer. “We want X-Ray you to make sure you aren't hurt or anything like that. May I?”

Marinette nods, “Oh, sure,” she confirms, “I don't think anything hit me, though, I was pretty quick and I feel fine.”

“Mhm, mhm, yeah,” Supergirl absently acknowledged, already giving her a glance over. “Yeah, you look good to me, I’d even say pretty darn fi…” The almost flirtatious comment fades along with her grin as it transforms into a confused frown.


	3. Now That's Odd.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Supergirl sees something off, and she's hella suspicions. Now she has questions.

There's a long pause as the hero’s stare continues and her frown only seems to deepen.

Another beat, and then a double echo of “ _ Supergirl? _ ” from both Marinette and Superman. Marinette’s had the faintest pitch of panic to it, because this time, she was certain that Supergirl’s grip had loosened and they had dropped in altitude, though just barely in both cases. And he may not have noticed, but it seemed Superman had been dropping with them. 

The double call seems to snap her attention back up, but she still looks… Puzzled. 

“I’m… Fine,” she sounded unsure of that, but actually shook her head as if to clear her thoughts away and pasted her big grin back where it belonged. “No, really!  _ Geode _ , you are  _ completely _ unharmed from this, no worries! Though you do seem to have some… Let’s say,  _ older injuries _ from the past that are concerning me, just a smidgen. 

“Kal!” The older hero had been about to speak up in curiosity, his mouth already open, but it snapped shut at the overly cheerful tone of Supergirl. “How ‘bout you head out and do that sweep of the city, yeah? I can finish up here, I just have a few things to ask of Geode, about stuff. What happened here, how she’s feeling, some normal safety warnings, ya’know, that sort of stuff, you know how it is. I can handle it, no worries!”

The amount of times she’s said ‘no worries’ has Marinette a bit more than worried, gripping just a bit harder to the hero, and the squeeze gets returned, but she can't tell why it half feels protective, and half feels like she’s just been trapped to prevent an escape. 

And somehow, the same nickname twice felt off, too. 

What in the world had Supergirl seen?

Superman’s hesitation was clear, and Marinette, uncomfortable enough to wish to get everything over with, spoke up. “I’m fine, really, and I’m okay to answer any questions she has. I have nowhere to be yet,” she adds as a final reassurance, and continuously makes sure she can still feel her phone securely in her pocket. She can.

He glances between the two, then gives an approving nod to Supergirl, though still a tad hesitant. “We’ll have a meeting and debrief tonight, then.”

“Great idea!” the hero pipes up in response, still all too cheerful. “Besides, you must be feeling a little  _ tired _ , aren't you? Should get going so you can rest up, you're a busy guy after all!” 

Superman raises a brow at her, but nods. “Yeah, odd, I didn't notice until you pointed it out. Good work today, Supergirl, thank you. I’ll see you later then.” 

He turns to go, and Marinette has a slightly sudden reminder of a thought, and she reaches out an arm as if to stop the hero from leaving. “Wait!” She quickly grabs right back onto Supergirl as she can bodily feel how much of a bad idea it was to reflexively let go with one hand. 

“Uh, please,” she adds in a mumble, embarrassed as he turns back to them. 

“Yes?” He asks with patience, and she greatly appreciated that he didn’t snap at her for stopping him. 

“You probably get this a lot, but my friend would probably disown me if she finds out I met you and didn't ask. You see, my friend, she's a huge superhero fan, and also an aspiring reporter, and, well, you know how fans and reporters are, you being a public hero and all. Do you think you'd be willing to do an interview with her, even just a quick hello?” She was nervous to ask, but she was determined to persevere, for Alya’s sake. 

It takes barely a breath of a moment before Superman breaks into a smile and nods. 

“Absolutely, anything to help out such a dedicated reporter and her friend. Supergirl can give you a number to one of the reporters at the Daily Planet, she knows which one. He can get up in contact. Until then,” he finishes with a salute, and finally turns and flies off, picking up pace and disappearing faster than Marinette can fully voice her thank you. 

There's no time for awkward silence as Supergirl is suddenly taking them back down, and Marinette yelps at the unexpected drop.

She looks back down towards the ground as they fall, and she points, with her chin this time, at the now dust covered bench with her messenger bag and sketchpad still sitting there unsupervised. “Over there, I left my bag on the bench. I hope everything is still safe.”

They drop to the sidewalk and Marinette takes a moment to get her feet under her before stepping away from the hero. Supergirl seems reluctant to let her go, and Marinette gets the feeling once more that she's been trapped despite having no reason to run. 

Dusting off the open sketchbook, she makes sure the sketch isn't ruined by the dust before picking up her bag and gently beats the dirt and pebbles from the fabric. As she slings it back over her shoulder, she looks up in time to once more catch the blue-green eyes of the blond teenager she had saved earlier. 

He seemed to be waiting for someone now, standing across the street on the corner. A mountain of broken concrete was between them now instead of just one chunk and a door. They blink at each other in a moment of surprise at seeing one another, before he nods in acknowledgment, and she can tell it's his way of saying thank you without actually coming to her to say so. She nods back, and he goes back to his waiting, his book once more in his hands. She notices, though, that his earbuds remained with one in and one out.

Supergirl mutters what sounded like “Luthors” before she clears her throat, and Marinette turns back to her curiously. The other girl was tense, and her eyes were boring back towards the mystery teen. 

“Do you know him?” Supergirl sounded as tense as she looked, and cautious, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Oh, no, of course not,” Marinete waved her hand as though to brush Supergirl’s worries away, before finally picking her sketchbook back up. 

“I just helped him when the planet thing was coming down,” she added, “we almost got crushed by it.” She downplayed her saving of him, for one, not wanting to seem like she was boasting, and two, she felt that trying to act like a hero was not a good idea in the moment. She didn't know Supergirl’s temperament at all, unlike the more predictable and known one of Superman, so Marinette concluded that her usual quiet would be the best play until she knew what had given the superhero’s hackles a rise.

“Uh-huh,” Supergirl sounded skeptical, but she relaxed minutely. She turned back to Marinette, and the tension in her shoulders dissipated as she uncrossed one arm and pointed to the open sketchbook in Marinette’s hands. “What is  _ that? _ ”

“Huh?” She looks down, and her scarlet blush returns. “Oh,” She stutters out, looking at the open page of Superman costume redesigns. The beginnings of a Supergirl-styled skirt sat in one of the corners. 

She hesitates a moment, still not used to sharing her drawings, but finally holds the sketchbook out tentatively to the superhero for her to see better. Supergirl takes it with her own amount of hesitance, but as she scans the page, her other arm uncurls and she holds the book fully and more carefully. 

Marinette fidgets a bit nervously, but relaxes as Supergirl’s expression seems to be appreciative and showing consideration for the designs. She even seemed to be eyeing a particular design with a gold and red cape with golden clasps, red boots and cloves, blue bodysuit, and a red and gold sash-like belt around the waist. The designer had a slight feeling she liked it, but not as a suggestion for her cousin. 

The phone in Marinette’s pocket buzzes before sounding out a wordless Jagged Stone tune, and she jumps back from where she had been standing close to and looking over the shoulder of the superhero. 

She quickly pulls it out and answers. “Hello? Papa? Oh yes, I’m still at the park, of course! You heard the news? Am I hurt?” She stuttered a bit on the last two questions, looking nervously at Supergirl who raised a brow back at her. She didn't want to worry her parents, but she knew the situation would still concern them nonetheless. She sighs and turns back to her phone.

“No Papa, let Maman know I’m alright, just a bit dusty; I was pretty close when it happened. Yes, I’ll meet you on the other side of the park, promise, see you soon. Oh! And, please don't freak out,” she adds to her worried father on the other end of the line. “The local superhero wanted to make sure I was okay, so she’s with me at the moment, don't be surprised if she's still with me when I get there!” 

Marinette smiles to herself as she notices the unproccessing look of having been blown away on Supergirl’s face. She guessed it had to do with not being called  _ Superman’s sidekick _ like Marinette had heard before, or even  _ Superman’s cousin _ or  _ Superman’s partner _ . It was probably that she had simply called her  _ the _ local superhero, as though she was the only one. Marinette could admit, from everything she knows from Alya and from today, Supergirl deserved a little shameless time in the spotlight all on her own, even if just from one person.

Realizing her father had gone silent from a moment of his own shock, Marinette quickly ended the call with a rushed “ _ Okay-Bye! _ ” and put the phone away. She beamed at Supergirl happily as she gestured into the park, past the bronze planet nestled into the grass. “Shall we?”

She didn’t wait for a reply before turning on her heel and almost skipping as she jogged off for the other side of the public space. Honestly, she was just happy the whole almost-dying ordeal was over.

She glanced back, confirming that Supergirl was flying after her silently, still just a tad dazed but with a fresh new grin of pride on her. 

By the time they got to the other end of the park, Supergirl seemed to be bursting at the seams with glee, but she kept it contained respectfully as Marinette went up to her already waiting parents and hugged them. 

Worries and reassurances passed between them for a couple moments before the hero was once more clearing her throat, her positive energy from a moment ago toned down into something more serious. 

“Not to be a spoilsport or anything,  _ really _ ,” the superhero seemed to shuffle on her feet awkwardly, though she wasn't even touching the ground. “But I have a question. Geode- I mean, uh-”

“Marinette,” she supplied, and the hero nodded.

“This may seem like an odd question, but it’s not, I  _ assure _ you. Marinette, have you ever been caught up in a meteor shower?”


	4. Wait, What?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Answers are given and some backstory is filled in, but blanks still remain. The Metropolis Intro Arc comes to a close.

“Meteor shower?”

Marinette looked quizzically towards her parents, knowing nothing of such an event ever happening. But she also knew there was a chance it had happened before they had ever met her.

Sabine stepped up, a more passive, if not helpless, look of cluelessness on her features. “No, as far as Tom and I are aware, she wasn’t. But, perhaps, she may have been. You see,” she began to elaborate, wrapping a reassuring arm around her daughter alongside her husband, “Marinette is adopted.”

Supergirl blinked at that, and Tom continued where Sabine left off before the superhero could ask any premature questions. 

“There was some kind of accident that happened with her original parents. Not her birth ones as far as the adoption agency knew. They claimed the DNA didn’t match any of the residents where she was found, and there was no birth certificate.” 

Tom patted his daughter’s head and she smiled reassuringly. She knew the story, and came to terms with it long ago. It had never really been a crisis for her, it was simply a fact of her life.

Marinette decided to pick up the tale herself and explain the rest.

“They don't know what exactly caused it, but the whole building had collapsed, and I was the only survivor. They suspected some kind of explosion from the debris. 

“The people who rescued me from the aftermath knew my name was Marinette because of a note that I had been swaddled with, but that was it. The note was too damaged to read anything else, but they suspect it may have been a simple baby-care to-do list for new parents. 

“So, I guess to answer your question… We have no clue. Why? You said you saw something, an old injury, could it have been debris from the accident?” 

Tom pipes up once more to fill in more blanks and open more questions. “There was no report of injuries from that, just your pre-existing scars.”

“And I don’t think they ever checked those,” Sabine adds, “likely assuming they were taken care of before the accident.”

“Scars…” Supergirl mused, looking Marinette over once more. “Marigold, they wouldn't happen to be over your right shoulder, back, and leg, would they?”

The Dupain-Chengs’ eyes were wide as they looked at each other before Marinette stepped closer, pushing down the right shoulder of her re-dawned over-shirt and the shirt underneath, twisting around to be able to show the faint scarring there in strange jagged, spotty patterns. It definitely looked like it had been something done by multiple culprits such as a dense scattering of tiny meteors. Or shrapnel from something much closer. 

Supergirl’s resolve seemed to solidify at the sight and nodded, stepping up closer and pointing to one of the largest of the scars between her shoulder and collarbone, then another at her shoulder blade. “Your back and leg have big ones like these too, right?” A nod in response, and she continues. 

“All of those spots have large chunks of crystals that I suspect might be from… a place I call home. I felt them when I helped you out back there.” Marinette furrowed her brow, wondering if that seeming uncharacteristic weakness and tiredness of the two superheroes had been because of these hidden crystals. Did she somehow really have a weakness to the indestructible heroes just sitting around inside her?

“Oh, sorry for being snippy back there by the way, I thought the crystals had been put in you on purpose, it didn't help that I recognized that other guy, too, I hope you can forgive me, Starshine.” Marinette flushed at the attention, not expecting the apology and another nickname, but she nodded in affirmation to the apology. Supergirl then stepped back as she continued on with a returned nod, and Marinette took it to put her sleeves back in place. 

“Anyways, I’ll bet my hat, metaphorically of course, that all the smaller pieces were removed by your body naturally as you grew, but the bigger ones stuck around. Get those checked out, long term exposure of my homeworld’s rocks can have bad effects on humans. To have none so far, you're lucky. Well, as lucky as you can get with already having, ya’know… Yeah…” The hero looked sheepish now, and Marinette just laughed softly, Tom and Sabine chuckling behind her.

“We’ll be sure to get it taken care of,” Marinette nods glad to have gotten help for something she hadn't even known was wrong. “Thank you, Supergirl. For everything.”

“Hah, it was nothin’,” the hero grins, reaching up to touch her hair, and instead clocked herself in the temple with Marinette’s sketchbook that she still held. “ _ Owch! _ Oh! Ha-hah, that- that's definitely not mine, here-  _ Actually _ …” Before she hands it back, she pulls one of the pencils out from between the bindings and scribbles down into the blank spaces between the Superman sketches. 

When Marinette finally takes the sketchbook back, there's two names and two numbers. The first, situated below the most detailed of the Superman designs, is the name  _ Clark Kent _ , and a number labeled  _ personal cell _ . The second number is vertically written between the Supergirl skirt and the sash design Supergirl had been admiring, and the name was  _ Supergirl _ , also labeled with  _ personal cell _ . 

Marinette’s eyes go wide at both, and she slams the sketchbook closed to hide them from prying eyes. “But these are-! You-! I can’t-!” 

She’s cut off by a full and gleeful laugh from the superhero. “Geode, It’s fine, don't worry ‘bout it! Really! Superman already told me to give you Kent’s for your reporter friend, the other one you can just consider an emergency contact for anything about those crystals you’ve got. That's acceptable, right? Good!” she beams when Marinette gives a speechless nod, and the designer could swear that Supergirl was actually doing something to make herself glow with the sun framing her from above her head. 

“I should be heading off then,” the superhero continued, and her glow dimmed with it, but she stayed grinning and proud, more content in the moment. “Think you need anything else or we good?”

Having a quick thought, Marinette reached into her back and slipped out one of her home-made business cards. She never actually used them, she wasn't ready to start her own business just yet, but they were convenient if she ever needed to give her contact info to anyone. This was as good a time as any to put them to use. 

She stepped up quickly and grabbed Supergirl’s hand in her own, slipping the paper into the other teen’s fingers. 

“Thank you again, Supergirl, I mean it. Thank you.”

The hero softens just a bit as she looks back at the bright, dirt covered girl she rescued from the Daily Planet’s main symbol. Her grin returns full force and she winks. “Any time, cutie, it’s what I do.” 

Marinette let's go with a laugh at the superhero’s antics, and finally releases her hand. 

With a wave from both Supergirl and the Dupain-Chengs, they part ways. 

A few things happen for Marinette after that day in Metropolis. 

First, after Marinette got back to the hotel her family was staying in, she made a call to Alya back in Paris. She told her about the villain attack, the destruction, and the heroes rescuing her. She made sure to spare any and every personal detail, both of her own and of the heroes’. Marinette didn't want to be teased or prodded about it, and she strongly guessed the heroes didn't want the wrong things getting out. Alya had dropped her phone upon hearing about her getting not just the contact for a well known reporter, but also securing a promise for an interview in her name. Alya at least gracefully respected that Marinette refused to give up the number, and planned to set the interview up herself to make sure she didn't break their trust in her.

After that, Marinette and her parents discussed the whole  _ alien crystals in her body _ thing, and decided they should get them removed as soon as they returned home, not wanting their daughter recovering from surgeries like that while travelling. Figuring Supergirl would be too busy to answer a call, she sent a text instead about the decision. A fitting string of emojis followed by a ‘ _ sweet! update me soon, ttyl _ ’ was the reply.

Marinette didn't encounter either of the Super-Duo for the rest of her trip, but she texted the teen again a few days before they were set to leave. She asked about music recommendations, stating a desire to get a gift of CDs or records for one of her long-time best friends back home. Not only did she get a good long list of album recommendations, but also a short list of the best music stores in the city, in order of ‘ _ best to still-best-but-slightly-less-awesome _ ’, as Supergirl put it. 

After the Dupain-Chengs returned to Paris, the renovations of the bakery almost complete, they set up everything they needed for the removal of the foreign crystals. Once more, Marinette made sure to text Supergirl. And this time, they did see each other again. The American hero flew all the way to France to bring Marinette something, a Non-Disclosure Agreement for the doctors handling Marinette and the crystals. Apparently, her and her cousin used them in emergencies to keep their identities safe, and their weaknesses out of the wrong hands, as best they could. It only confirmed for Marinette that the crystals were indeed weaknesses to them, and she vowed to keep them secret.

Supergirl stayed in Paris to oversee the surgeries, despite how much it embarrassed Marinatte to have a superhero acting like a bodyguard at the hospital, let alone how much the girl told the hero it was alright to leave her on her own. Yet again, Marinette vowed to never tell Alya. She made the hero swear to it, too, though she was sure that promise wouldn't hold if Alya ever got an interview. Truthfully, she wouldn't really hold the other teen to it anyways, but it was nice to know Supergirl would still make the effort to keep it the promise. 

After the crystals were removed and Marinette was home free, Supergirl handed her a leather-bound wooden box, decorated in brass bands and studs, and lined on the inside with lead and velvet. Inside sat several chunks of glowing, ethereal crystals. Most of them were shades of green, but one sat in the center and radiated a brilliant gold. Each had been carefully coated in something clear, meant to prevent skin-to-skin contact when handling, without diminishing the beauty.

“Kryptonite,” Supergirl confessed with a sheepish grin. “Pieces of Krypton, the home planet Kryptonians like Kal-El and I are from. You kept them safe without even knowing it, I can’t imagine how safe they'll be now that you know they're here. Better than being anywhere near us or our enemies, am I right?”

Marinette had laughed, exasperated at Supergirl’s antics, but decided, for once, not to refuse the gift, and accept the new responsibility that came with them. It was the least she could do for a friend from an ocean and a few galaxies away. 

After a few weeks in Paris, Supergirl had to go back to Metropolis a week before Marinette’s last year of collège started, admitting to needing to return to start her first year of high school. 

Her final statement to Marinette had been to make a bet.

Marinette had laughed and fallen down giggling when she first expressed her want to make it. She was so used to Kim and Alix doing the same thing, realizing that they would get along well with Supergirl if they ever met. 

“ _ Geode! _ ” She had called out and declared with the largest air of confidence she could muster, “Geode, Blue Starshine, Princess, Macaroon, Cookie Dough, Buttercup, Blossom, Lil’ Butterfly, Darlin’, Cutie.  _ Marinette!  _ I mean it, and this is my bet!  _ I _ am going to learn French! It’s going to suck, and I’m going to hate it, but you learned English, so I’ll try to learn something else, too, and maybe I’ll do it in time to surprise you with how awesome I am at it next year.”

“And if you can’t do it?” Marinette had giggled, the last of her laughter simmering down after the bold declaration. 

“ _ I won’t _ ,” was the answer. Yet she still added, “But if I do fail, I’ll take you to the one place only Kal and I can go, a little piece of Home on Earth. Deal?”

Marinette softened at the whole thing, and nodded with a soft smile.

“ _ Deal. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sweet!! The Intro Arc is done!! Next up is a one-year time-skip; time for Marinette to get her powers!


	5. What I Miss?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year passes by fast, but sometimes a lot can happen, and you'll miss it if you blink. Time for school to start: take two.

Marinette’s final year of collège had been a quick yet busy affair for the teen, quickly followed by the summer before her first year of lycée.

It had begun once more with an uncanny similarity to the year before. Alya began the morning with raves about her interview with _The Superman_ and all the positive reviews on it. The reporter had still been curious about the events of Marinette’s encounter in Metropolis, but once more she had shut down that line of questioning before anyone could catch on. She reminded Alya that there had been a reason she didn't want to be credited for acquiring the interview; she didn't want or need the attention it would bring.

When Nino had joined them, Marinette finally presented to him the CD's and a record she had bought for him. He had been ecstatic, happy for the new content for his collection. As thanks, he managed to convince her to let him give her a copy of his latest songs that he had made over the summer. Besides his family at home who listened to him work, she would be the first to hear them. 

During lunch that same day, she had taken the chance to listen to the music, giving her positive response right away. Of course, in an excited blunder of praise, she let it slip that she thought Supergirl would enjoy it, too, and once more had to quench a bursting flurry of questions from not just Alya, but Nino and Adrien as well. 

Alya had pretended for all of five minutes that she would never forgive Marinette for not spilling anything she knew about the superhero. 

Nino, after letting the information sink in, had gone mute like his favorite artist had just told him his music was top notch; she supposed it was pretty close, so the reaction was rather reasonable. 

And Adrien, after showing confusion, and once Alya had filled them in on what she knew happened in Metropolis, had looked like he just spotted a celebrity more known than himself on the streets. He quickly followed the look with telling her that it was amazing how much good luck she had with meeting people when she had such bad luck with physical hazards. That had gotten a good laugh out of all of them, though Marinette had been a bit flustered about having that particular detail to her life.

That same day was also the beginning of Lila Rossi’s return to Paris and introduction to the class. Marinette and her closest Parisian friends had spent their two lunch hours together and missed their chance to introduce themselves then, but they did get their hellos and welcomes in after classes ended. 

When Lila made a passing comment about her trip during the summer before moving back to Paris, Alya had gone right into her normal lines of questioning, ever dedicated to being curious. The stories Lila was quick to recount were rather awe inspiring to the teens, and the perfect pictures and dazzling trinkets she presented with each one only solidified the tales. 

Adrien had to leave before he could hear more than one story, but Alya, Marinette, and Nino stuck around to hear more. 

After that, Lila became a frequent joiner to their group gatherings, regaling them frequently. She would join them for lunch, switching between either the different friend groups or encouraging the entire class to sit together; group picnics had become much more common due to it. She was often invited to smaller activities outside of school, and she readily accepted.

Lila became a quick and easy friend for the entire class.

Supergirl’s first return trip to Paris had been a month into the start of school. She had shown up half an hour after school for Marinette. The french student had to make sure none of her classmates were facing towards the bakery when she heard the all too familiar sound of the superhero flying in. After befriending Supergirl over the summer, it was hard not to recognize the signs; especially since she had to be a quick study to them. She had to make sure no one ever spotted the Kryptonian’s presence around her home for both their safety. 

Once Marinette managed to get home, she found Supergirl already holding a box of pastries and happy as the cat that caught the canary. 

Marinette, after easing her worries at the sight of the hero, joked about not being able to wait for their next phone call or her text. The two had started a habitual schedule of talking during Marinette’s evenings, after school let out for Supergirl, and the weekends, mostly consisting of Marinette's projects and Supergirl’s tales of heroism. 

Supergirl had laughed from the question. She then held up the box, stating that her new friends from school, _hero_ friends, were in need of some lunchtime pick-me-ups, and this was the best place for it. Outside of going for ice cream, she had clarified, but the vote had been pastries, and Supergirl proudly made sure to volunteer to pick up the goods. From Paris. Without warning, of course.

But at least she made sure to come in through the balcony and not the front door. After all, stealth and secrecy was important when you're not supposed to be somewhere. With a roll of her eyes, Marinette told her to fly a little slower next time, too, as her breaking of sound barriers was a bit attention grabbing. There was more laughter, but this time it was accompanied by a promise to try and be quiet next time. 

Visits from Supergirl continued throughout the year sporadically, their luck holding true and keeping Supergirl’s presence in the city on the down low. The Dupain-Cheng parents were happy to have her visiting as well, treating her just as they would any other friend of their daughter: with offers of lots of food and care.

There was, however, one unexpected incident with one of Marinette’s friends.

Nino Lahiffe.

He had come up into the housing of the building one Saturday afternoon, bypassing the bakery, and went right into the living room, ready to head up the stairs to Marinette’s attic bedroom where he knew he would most likely find her. He completely forgot what he had come for when he froze and did a double-take of Supergirl lounging on the couch, feet on the coffee table. She stared right back at him in surprise, popping the bubble of her gum, before sending an almost feral grin at the boy. 

It turned smug and amused as Marinette came down the stairs and froze, too.

Nino had taken the whole thing in stride once he managed to shake himself and Marinette from the shock. From that day on, he had joined the ranks of the few who knew about the superhero’s visits, as well as the only person besides Supergirl and Superman who knew the full story of what happened in Metropolis. He also managed to ask Supergirl for more song recommendations, and heard straight from her that she did, indeed, enjoy the music he made. 

On one of the visiting days, Marinette could have sworn she heard Supergirl practicing French on Nino. 

At the end of November, Supergirl had been sheepish when she visited, presenting a ruined blue jean jacket she claimed was torn during a family squabble, questioning if it could be repaired. It couldn't. Yet by Christmas, when Supergirl wasn't able to visit due to being with family, Marinette had completed a blue-dyed leather jacket. She sent it to Clark Kent after requesting and confirming if he could get the gift to Superman to give to Supergirl for her.

New Years Day had brought Marinette a more than happy Supergirl kissing her cheek as she thanked her for the gift, before the hero then proceeded to give a gift in turn. It was a necklace, a decorated rose-gold egg-shaped locket, the actual size of a small egg, on a long matching chain. She had noticed it was actually locked, and Supergirl had winked, revealing two necklaces around her neck. Next to one with a blue crystal pendant, a matching chain to the locket held a small, rose-gold filigree key. She promised to reveal the contents of the locket someday if Marinette promised to keep it safe.

And promise she did.

Late January brought with it a second encounter with the teen she had saved at the Daily Planet. Again, it was brief, not much of an encounter, only a glance of him in the background of Adrien’s thank you video to his friend’s well-wishes on the anniversary of his mother’s disappearance. They had a good enough look at him to recognize that he looked uncannily similar to Adrien. The class had confirmed with him later that it was his cousin, Félix Luthor Graham de Vanily, son of his mother’s twin sister. She wondered if she would see him again; she didn't want to bother Adrien to ask for her if he was alright from the incident.

In the middle of March, Marinette cautiously presented to Supergirl a sterling silver panjas bracelet, having been inspired by the gifted locket. The designer revealed she had created the bracelet with the help of one of Paris’ silversmiths. The bracelet piece itself was a simple band with a gap on top, a chain from each side connecting together at the bottom point of the centerpiece. The centerpiece, resting in the middle of the back of her hand, was shaped like the diamond outline of the Kryptonian symbol on the heroes’ chests. Five more chains, one from each of the other corners and one from the middle of the top edge, lead to rings on each finger. The center three rings connected to a second set of rings, ending there. 

However, the decorative bracelet had something else as its main focus. She had used the kryptonite that had once been inside her, as a decorative inlay to the centerpiece and the first set of the middle three rings. Marinette worried it had been a bad idea, but, to her relief, Supergirl had shaken out of her awe of the jewelry and laughed, telling Marinette that it was very fitting for being so close to St. Patrick's Day. 

When Supergirl had also made a joke about the bracelet being able to pack a punch against Superman and that she may need to borrow it some time, Marinette had to refrain from a playful tap of her knuckles to the Kryptonian’s shoulder, the bracelet still on her hand. 

Marinette celebrated her 15th birthday in the afternoon with her friends, only a spare few weeks of school left for the class. She was already waiting for Supergirl on her balcony in the evening when the hero came by. The video-game she was presented, an early release in the States only, was by far her favorite gift. It was Supergirl's turn for a kiss on the cheek in thanks, and she didn't snap from her surprised stupor until the game had been started up, ready to be played for the rest of the night. And that's how long they did.

The third encounter with Félix, the start of many more to come, happened after the school year finally ended, summer break had started, and Marinette was officially out of collège. Supergirl had been visiting, but had been glaring outside at the park. When Marinette had spotted the subject of the superhero’s ire, she had dismissed herself to go find him where he was with Adrien. 

She learned he had been just fine, thank-her-very-much, though she had shoved him roughly enough to bruise for a few days. She apologized profusely, but he had accepted it as the least he could take for having not lost his life. He thanked her instead for saving his mother from losing her son as well. Especially since it would have been too ironic to bear if he had been lost after having only just left an interview about his late father. 

Marinette returned to the bakery soon after that, and saw that Supergirl’s scrutinizing gaze from earlier had softened. The hero admitted to listening in on the conversation, and thought that maybe she shouldn’t have such a big bone to pick with someone who may not have done anything wrong. Even if people around him were not so innocent. Marinette didn't pry, but she was still proud of her friend.

Many weeks of summer, hang-outs with her public friends, sleepovers with her secret hero friend, and countless mornings getting to sleep in late, it was finally time for Marinette’s official start of lycée.

She didn’t expect to feel déjà vu when she spotted a wide-eyed Nino, his eyes locked on a blonde, steel blue-eyed girl in a custom dyed-blue leather jacket and maroon ripped jeans, popping gum. 

“Bonjour, ma belle géode,” the girl spoke up, looking at Marinette with a cheshire grin and triumph blazing in her eyes; “Je m’appelle Kara Danvers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Hello, [my] beautiful geode. My name is Kara Danvers."


	6. New Start.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara has arrived, answers are given, questions are made, and school finally begins.

Marinette, unsure how to react, became an equally wide-eyed mirror image of Nino.

Kara- _Supergirl_ , her mind helpfully filled in a second time-continued looking as devious and casual as ever with her arms crossed, back against the wall by the classroom door, and the tread of her boot up against the wall. 

Nino, wrapping up his own shock before Marinette could, finally spoke, though it was low and disbelieving.

“Mari, dude, tell me that’s not who I think it is.”

She only shook her head in a minuscule in response. Kara pushed off the wall and her hands dropped to instead slide into her jacket pockets as she walked up to the frozen pair.

“Oh, no, sorry Nino, no can do; I’m _definitely_ the me you think I am.” 

Kara’s accent was noticeable, but it surprised Marinette just how well she was speaking French. _So she really was practicing with Nino_ , she thought, before another thought made itself painfully obvious, and she tensed up at the realization.

“You won the bet,” she whispered a little breathlessly. The other girl grinned.

“ _Bet?_ ” Nino’s attention was pulled to Marinette at her words, his brow furrowed in confusion. It was clear Supergirl hadn't told her language practice-dummy about the almost forgotten agreement.

“ _Yup_ ,” the disguised superhero chimed, “A bet! You helped a lot, Nino, thanks buddy!” She clapped her hand down on his shoulder as she grinned at him, and though it wasn't too hard, an audible ‘oof’ still startled out of him. 

“Our darlin’ Marinette here and I made a little wager,” Kara continued, side-eyeing the said girl as she explained to Nino what happened barely over a year before. “I challenged myself to learn French and surprise her with it. Mission: _Successful_. Not exactly as planned, but it all worked out, yeah?”

“Not as _planned_?” Worry hinted in Marinette’s voice as she fully found her voice. “Did-did you plan to transfer to school here? This whole time?”

“No?” she didn't seem to be convinced of her own answer, and Marinette just kept staring for another second before Kara gave a shrug and tilted her head in defeat. “Okay, yeah, I did, but not so soon, ya’know? Like for University or something, but it just got moved ahead a little bit.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes a bit as she crossed her arms. Nino stepped back, recognizing the rise of a scrutinizing gaze. Her voice however remained a contrasting soft tone. “So what happened?”

“Grounded,” Kara states with a shrug.

“You’re…grounded, in Paris?”

“Yep. I got into a little bit of trouble with one of my cousin’s _friends,_ ” _a fellow hero_ , Marinette guessed, as she missed the glance sent to the locket hanging from around her neck. “And he decided to ‘ _ground me’_ for it,” there were sarcastic air-quotes to accompany the words.

“Sent me to the safest, least crime-ridden city in the world and told me not to act like a hero while I'm here,” Kara finished under her breath for only Nino and Marinette to hear, her expression falling into a pained one at the revealed news.

Nino gave a sympathetic frown and returned the earlier pat on the shoulder in an attempt at comfort. 

Marinette felt bad as well, wanting to help cheer her usually fired-up friend back up. “You think you can handle it? I doubt he will keep you from helping when it really matters. If it helps, you can join our class when we do service projects; they’re not the same as what you did back in Metropolis, but they’re still helpful to people.” 

Her smile was encouraging as Kara looked back up, one side of her mouth turned upward. “Yeah, I think I’ll do that. Not sure how much help I’ll be, but anything counts, right?”

“Right!” Both Nino and Marinette chimed back, glad to see the now civilian superhero gaining back her spark. 

“ _Besides_ ,” Kara adds on as though it were an afterthought, “it’s not like I came here alone.”

“You-?” 

“Marinette!!”

Said called girl was interrupted as she turned around to be crashed into by another girl with long ombre ginger hair. 

A laugh escaped Nino, “Should have seen that coming, bro,” he commented, “She does that way too much.”

“ _Alya_ ,” Marinette whined with a laugh of her own as she steaded herself and her friend from falling over. “I’m clumsy enough on my own, I don't need you turning me into a bowling pin.”

“You will _always_ need me, my dearest friend,” Alya teased, finally releasing Marinette and sharing a fist-bump in greeting with Nino. “Maybe not as your bowling ball, but anything else you may need. So! Who’s the new kid?” Alya was now turned to Kara ever-present curiosity clear on her face as her full attention was turned on the other.

“Kara,” the Kryptonian introduced herself before either of the other two could. “You're Alya Cesaire, right?”

Alya brightened at being recognized and nodded vigorously. “Yeah, how did you know?” Marinette and Nino both silently fretted about the possibility of Supergirl about to out herself all over again to one of their classmates. Their _reporter_ classmate. 

“You run the _Heroics Archive Blog_ , right? My cousin was really impressed with your Superman interview.” 

“Your cousin?” Alya looked curious to who it was.

The duo who knew Kara’s other identity worried just a little more urgently at the direction the conversation was going. The hero was either about to out herself as the cousin of Superman to a reporter of all things hero, or-

“Yeah, Clark Kent, said he couldn’t do it better himself. Good job there, guy’s a tough one to really impress.” Or out said cousin’s secret identity to the two already in the know, apparently.

The two still sighed almost inaudibly as they were still in the safe with the whole identity thing. They were still glad, however, as they watched Kara give them a side-eye and a wink, that she trusted them so much. It was a bonus that the superhero wasn't as completely reckless as she tended to present herself as. Marinette made a quick mental note to apologize through, next time she saw Superman, for learning his secret identity from Supergirl instead of himself. 

There were stars in Alya’s eyes as she comprehended the fact of impressing such a well known writer who shared her interest and focus of stories on superheroes.

The warning bell for class rang out, and Marinette jumped, and though she was standing right outside their classroom door, she still felt the sudden panic of _don't be late_. The other three with her chuckled at the sight, and she huffed a response before grabbing a hand each of Nino and Alya, now heading for the door. “Let’s try to be on time this year, guys; can’t have those traditional start-of-year macaroons at lunch if we're tardy.” 

The responding hums of delight and lack of resistance to her pulls encouraged her to let go of their wrists as they sped past her into the classroom. She turned back to Kara and smiled, “Well, come on, this is your class too, right?”

“Yeah, it is,” Kara confirmed, walking up to follow her. “Why else would I be waiting outside it?”

“Touche,” Marinette giggled, and walked in.

She took quick note of her classmates and where they sat. She was happy to see her entire class from collège all together for another year. Kim and Nathaniel were seated together in the top row off to the left, and Rose and Juleka on the other side. The next row down had Ivan with Mylène, Alix at the opposite desk with an open seat. The second row up was Lila and Max, with Nino now seated at the spot below Alix, another open space beside him. The very front row was the same as the last two: Sabrina and Chloé to the left, and Adrien on the first right, Alya taking the placement Nino once had. 

Marinette took a quick glance back to Kara, noticing her sending a poisoned glare at Chloé, before nudging her and tilting her head up at the empty seats. The other girl nodded, sending a final stink-eye to the spoiled blonde, and followed dutifully. Marinette took the space next to Nino, behind Alya. Kara went up to the next desk, gracelessly plopping herself into the seat, curiously earning herself a disdained return glare from Chloé, now positioned behind Marinette and next to Alix. 

The start of school bell rang and the new teacher walked in, and for Marinette, with them came a feeling that she now couldn’t wait for the day to be over.

[ A/N: I've sketched out a few things including concept art for the locket/key and panjas bracelet, as well as a few character interactions. Check 'em out on my Tumblr, [[Here]](https://silverwhiteraven.tumblr.com/post/613163558005555200/borne-of-the-stars-sketches) <3 ]


	7. A Friendly Meeting.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunchtime break has arrived, and the Parisian duo meet the companions Kara has in Paris.

The first three hours of class passed by quickly, full of teacher introductions, reviews, and chatter from students not yet out of their summertime mindsets. Marinette was happy to see Mlle. Mendeleiev had moved up from teaching in their old collège and had transferred to their new lycée with them, but not as their homeroom teacher. 

During Mademoiselle Mendeleiev’s third period Algebra class, Alix learned Kara was just as willing to take on bets as Kim, and they started a note-passing competition to see who would get caught first. Marinette and Nino both got roped in half way through when one of the notes fell on the former's head, and the latter picked it off and snorted at the message inside, hiding it before Mlle. Mendeleiev could see it or Marinette could have a curious peak.

Marinette lost by a technicality of being spotted, but won in her own way when she didn't get in trouble. For one, she knew the teacher was harsh against students messing around in class, but was lenient to let the ones who had completed their work already, and letting them have their fun so long as it wasn’t distracting. She had finished her review sheet before the other three, and the note wasn’t considered distracting because, conveniently, it was an offer to tutor Nino during lunches. All of her notes had been class related in preparation for her luck not holding out, so when the bell rang for the end of class, she was mildly smug when she turned back to the girls behind her and grinned at them. 

“That was fun! I’m glad you still got your work done, though maybe make your bets  _ after _ finishing first, okay?”

The three note-passers hid their giggles as they nodded. Nino nudged her then, and she jumped up. “Oh right! Everyone, wait up!” MArinette stood and scooped up the box of macaroons she had pulled from her locker before the class had started, and hopped down the stairs to stand at the door. “Macaroons! Happy first day of lycée everyone!”

Most of the class broke out into moderate whoop and thank yous as they filed out the door and took a macaroon each. 

“See you down at the lunch tables today?” Adrien asked as he bit into his attained treat. Marinette took notice of a pin peeking out from under his overshirt, smiling internally as she recognized the colors of the bi pride flag, glad to see him knowing himself a lot better than he had two years ago.

Marinette glanced at Nino standing with Kara, both waiting for her outside the door and she considered the question. She nodded to them and shook her head. “I think Nino and I will show the new girl around today. See you in class later?”

“Course! See you, Marinette! Let’s go Alya, I'm starving.”

“I sure hope not,” was Alyas teasing retort. “I’ll try to start a smear campaign against your dad again, and this time you won't stop me!” Adrien only laughed as the two headed down the stairs and out of sight. 

After making sure Mlle. Mendeleiev got a macaroon of her own, Marinette joined her friends out in the hall, the remaining treats back in the bag on her back. 

“So, what now? I know I said we’d show you around, but I won't make either of you go anywhere if you don't want to. Nino, you up for it?”

The boy nodded vigorously, his hat slipping before he stopped. As he straightened it out, he answered properly. “Of course, bro! I finally get to hang out with this cool dudette outside of your house, there's no way i'm passing this up. No offense, Mari, but she must have been dying always being cooped up inside a bakery, even if it did smell heavenly. How bout you, Kara, up for your first real visit around Paris, City of Love?”

Marinette ignored the way Nino wiggled his brow at Kara as she focused on the other girl, awaiting her answer. 

“Yeah, one sec’, let me check something,” she pulled out her phone, searching her messages. “Remember how I said I didn’t move here alone?”

The two others nodded, remembering the comment from that morning and the unanswered question of  _ who are the others _ . Kara grinned down at her phone and then back as she quickly typed out a text and sent it. She turned the phone around to show them a new group chat log with one message,  _ ‘meet us, front courtyard, goin out for lunch and fun!’ _ , and two speech bubbles displaying the recipients as already replying.

Both replies were identical. 

_ ‘“Us?”’ _

Kara laughed as she turned the phone back and saw the texts, putting it away without replying. “How long are lunches here, anyways?”

“Two hours,” Nino answered her as he led the way to the stairs.

Stars joined the twinkle in the hero’s eyes. “Oh, I am never going back to America now.”

Marinette and Nino laughed as they headed down the steps and led the way through the halls and out of the school building, into the open courtyard now dotted in groups of students.

“Here she comes,” Kara says absently, stopping and standing in the spot as though waiting. The other two turn around curiously but are interrupted by an excited yell before they can ask.

“ _ Kara!! _ ” In a fashion almost identical to Marinette that morning, a hoodie wearing ginger haired girl went barreling into the called person like a purple streak, caught without wavering in a solid hug. 

“Hey there little Batsy,” Kara grinned as she let the other go, looking around. “Where’s Karen? I thought you had class together?”

“She’s catching up! Look, there she is!” 

The new girl gestured back the way she came, and there was another girl, honey-toned skin, dark, thickly curled hair tied up into two pigtails with a golden highlight streaking through one, and dressed in a striped soft yellow and brown sweater. Marinette’s first thought was she looked like a very adorable bee. 

The newest girl huffed as she slowed from her sprint and made her way over, clearly a bit miffed with all the rushing around, yet glad to have found her friends.

“H-hey, I’m here! Hi, Kara,” Karen finally greeted as she caught her breath. “You said something about,  _ ‘us’ _ ? Who is us? Oh! Are you us??” She turned to Nino and Marinette as she questioned them, a slight smile in greeting on her lips, though a crease of worry in her brow at being unprepared for meeting anyone new.

The two addressed teens nodded in unison, “Yeah! nice to meet you, dudes, I’m Nino Lahiffe, one of Kara’s classmates.” He held out a hand for a fistbump in greeting, which got returned with varying levels of enthusiasm and hesitation from the two newcomers to the group. 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, nice to meet you two!” She waved as she greeted, smiling brightly. The two green eyed girls waved back happily.

“Karen, Karen Beecher, nice to meet you two, too.”

“I’m Barbra Gordon, but you can call me Babs, it’s  _ much _ easier. Wait, Nino? Like, the Nino that Kara has started to listen to a ton of music from, that Nino?”

“Uh,” was his wide-eyed response, and Kara laughed as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

“Yup, he’s  _ that _ Nino; cool, right? Finally get to introduce you guys and, bonus, hang out properly for once.” 

“But, wait,” Karen interrupted, looking pensive, “What about.. Uhm…”

“Geode?” Babs supplied helpfully, and Marinette stiffened at the nickname. 

“Well, yes, her, too, but,” Karen shook her head, “actually I was going to say: ‘Didn’t you meet him as you-know-who and thus shouldn’t be acting so familiar with him?’ Kinda blows your cover and defeats your whole purpose here, doesn't it?”

“She has a point,” Babs chimed in, pointing at Kara with an exaggerated frown and a raised brow. 

Kara rolls her eyes, “Yeah, but kinda pointless you hide it, don't ya’ think? If I can't be  _ her _ , it means I can't exactly hang out like normal, now can I? Besides! I trust these two to keep it on the down-low; they're really good at it so far.”

As though suddenly realizing that they were discussing the identities of Supergirl in front of her, the two other American girls turned their gazes on Marinette, who took a half step back in surprise.

“Wait,” Babs tilted her head, tapping her pursed lips in thought. “Does that mean-?” 

“Indeed, Babs,” Kara piped back in with glee. “Girls, meet the cutie of Paris I may have forgotten to tell you the actual name of; the one and the only: Geode.” Kara made an exaggerated flourish of her hands as she said this, as though she was presenting Marinette like some kind of royalty to a court.

Marinette couldn't help but to blush in embarrassment at the whole display and explanation, waving slightly once more. 

Karen and Babs stared at her before the news finally settled, and it clicked for them both at the same time.

“ _ Ohh… _ ” They said in unison.


	8. Rushed Encounter.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette tries to get the group moving, and a certain elderly man interrupts their travels.

“Wow Kara, you’re right, she really is cute,” Babs notes.

“Mhm,” Karen nodded her agreement, and Marinette laughed nervously.

Nino, ever her savior, steps forward and holds up his hands like some kind of shield. “Okay, break won't last all day, maybe we should head out and show you guys around like we planned, yeah? Mari, we can stop by the bakery for lunch, right? Would your parents approve?” 

Gratefully accepting the proffered change of subject, Marinette nodded vigorously. “Yes-Yeah, of course! They’re always ready for friends to visit, we can go before heading back” she managed to stutter out. Grabbing Nino’s hand and squeezing it in thanks, she started dragging him off, glancing back only to smile and then confirm the American girls were following along. They were.

“This bakery wouldn't happen to be the one Kara says you live over, right?” Karen asks curiously.

“Oh! I sure hope it is!” Babs piped up, bouncing on her heels as she half skipped alongside them. “I _loved_ those goodies she brought to school last year. They really were worth skipping out on some _Sweet Justice_.”

“ _Sweet Justice?_ ” The Parisian duo parroted in slightly alarmed confusion.

“ _Best ice cream in Metropolis_ ,” The other three girls sing-songed together, Karen in a soft appreciative voice, Barbra in an excited tone, and Kara with a strong hint of pride.

“And home-base to our team!” Babs whispered conspiratorial, a glimmer in her eye to accompany the grin.

“You have a _team?_ ” Nino blurted in a hush, his own eyes filled with a few stars. He usually had a tendency to worry about his newfound superhero friend and all her heroing, but he still got caught up in the excitement of their business every once and awhile. 

The American girls all nodded, and it fully downed on the Parisians that they were in the presence of not just one hero, but three. 

“Can I, uh, ask who all is on your team?” Nino inquires in a hushed tone. “You don't have to, but it's kinda cool to know you guys, and I wouldn't want to leave anyone out in the praises.”

After a cursory glance around for anyone nearby, they shrugged and nodded before Kara decided to fill in the blanks.

“The full team would be Supergirl, Batgirl,” a slight tilt of the head towards Barbra, indicating herself by waving a hand at the civilian pair excitedly, “Bumblebee,” Kara’s head tilted over to Karen who wiggled her fingers in her own mirror image of Bab’s wave, “Zatanna, and Green Lantern- well, _a_ Green Lantern. They’re probably planning a visit already, Zee was totally bummed she couldn't come as an exchange student,” she adds the last part as a passing thought, not fully sure yet still confident about the possibility.

“Oh!” Babs pulls their attention to her as she raises a hand. “Don’t forget Wonder Woman! She’s not exactly a teenager, but she still works with us a lot despite being mostly independent now like Superman and Batman.” The other two heroes nodded in agreement.

“Mari, bro,” Nino looked at her, the stars in his eyes still present, “how are you not, like, freaking out right now?”

Marinette really had been silent for most of the conversation as the group walked, and she shrugged in thought. “After everything that happened last year and all those visits from Supergirl, I guess I just got used to it. This _is_ super cool, I don't deny that! I’m just more subtle in my awe, I guess?”

“Oh, yeah! That works, yes,” Karen says in support. “I much prefer a more subtle awe; all the attention can be a bit intimidating, you know?” 

“Exactly!” Marinette responded, and the two giggled at their shared experience.

Nino and Kara rolled their eyes in fond exasperation at the two, both of them being much more oriented towards the spotlights in their own ways.

The group stopped at the crosswalk of an intersection, waiting to be allowed to cross. A clattering pulled their attention to a collapsed figure in the center of the street. 

Kara heard the two cars coming while Marinette saw them from the corner of her eye.

At the same time, both moved forward.

Kara dashed forward alongside the other girl, scooping up the small elderly man as Marinette grabbed the cane that had skidded away.

They both reached the opposite sidewalk together, just as the cars passed by them, one each going in the opposite direction of the other, right at the spot the old man had been only a moment ago. 

“Woah, that was close,” Kara commented, setting down the short elder man on his feet as she looked off towards one of the vehicles. 

“Let’s not do that again,” Marinette adds, passing the cane to the person Kara rescued before she addresses him. “Are you alright? Hurt at all? I hope you're more careful next time, that could have been bad.”

“Yes, and no, not at all, thank you two,” he answers with a sweet and thankful smile. “You young ladies are rather brave,” he adds as the rest of their group rush over as soon as the light turns. 

“Are you three alright??” Nino fretted, checking them all over despite how perfectly fine they seemed to be before he joined them on their side of the street. Even Marinette, in a stroke of luck, hadn't tripped on the sidewalk’s curb.

“Kara, that was dangerous!” Karen added on in her own worry, but it had a slightly different note to it. In a softer tone, she adds: “Your cousin…You don’t think…” 

“He would consider that a little too _heroic_?” Barbra finished helpfully.

Kara winced at the words and rubbed her arm nervously, looking away. “I had to; he’ll forgive me for it, it’s not like I really did something _bad_.”

Despite her words, Kara still sent an apologetic look to the smaller old man. It wasn’t a ‘ _sorry for saving you_ ’ look, but rather, ‘ _sorry I can’t do it again_ ’.

Marinette smiled reassuringly in response to her friend’s frets. “We’re _fine_ , Nino, but thank you for worrying.” 

She then turned back to the man to respond to his last words. “I’m not all that brave; Kara’s the real brave one of us. After all, I only grabbed your cane. But I’m glad to hear you’re unhurt.” She smiled again to the man, digging her box of treats out and offering it out to him. She missed the way Kara had frozen up beside her at her words.

The old man nodded and chuckled in response as he gratefully accepted an offered macaroon. “Perhaps, then, call it courage. Thank you again. Have a good day, all of you.”

They kept an eye on him as he hobbled away, waiting for him and his tropical flower-printed shirt to disappear before turning back to one another. 

There was an awkward pause before Marinette broke the silence and grinned at everyone.

“So! Now that we’re no longer in any life-risking situations, who wants to keep heading towards the Eiffel Tower? We still have a lot of time before we go to the bakery for lunch.”

The tension escaped the teens and there were a few low laughs of relief and Nino now took the lead. Marinette fell back a bit to walk beside Kara, bumping her shoulder into the other to gain her attention and a questioning hum.

“You alright there?” 

“Yeah, yeah, thanks for asking, Cupcake,” Kara gave her a sideways grin and Marinette laughed.

“Alright, if you say so. Are you worried about your Clark getting upset with you at all?”

“No, no,” she shook her head and chuckled, “He said no _super-_ heroing, that was just normal, everyday heroing, I’ll be fine! I just…” 

“Just?” Marinette looked up at the other quizzically.

Kara turned to look back at her again, her eyes and returned smile softening.

“I just haven't heard you call me Kara before. It’s…New.”

Turning away, Marinette blushed as she realized Kara was right, she really hadn't been calling her by name since learning it.

“I guess, I just needed to get used to it. I’ve known you so long by another name, I needed a little bit to adjust so I wouldn't call you the wrong one. 

“But I think I got it now,” she adds with a triumphant grin, her fist now held up in offering for a fistbump. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Kara Danvers.”

“Please,” she responded with an eye-roll and a bump of her fist to the other’s, “It’s Kara _Zor-El_ , my precious Geode. You’ll do well to remember it,” she teases with a wink, Marinette suppressing her responding giggles at the whole situation. 

It wasn't long before the group reached their first destination, then headed toward another and another, finally ending at their final checkpoint: The Dupain-Cheng Bakery.


	9. A Warning Sign.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunch was enjoyed, Félix has a message, and more talk happens as they return to school.

The group of students spent the remainder of their lunch period eating to their hearts’ content. Marinette and Barbara had pitched in together to make sandwich wraps, something the latter had compared to being “just like a burrito!” Everything else was bread and pastries brought up from the bakery below.

“Those were the  _ best _ scones I ever had, I wish I could live here and eat them every day,” Babs lamented as they all gathered their things, preparing to return to school.

The others giggled at her antics and Marinette shrugged. “You get used to them; besides, those were only the rejects, you should try what they sell in the counter displays.”

“ _Rejects?_ _Those_ were rejects? But they were _perfect_! Absolutely _delicious_!” 

Marinette only shrugged again with a sheepish grin. Kara chuckled, knowing the reason for the ‘rejects’. Nino, who also understood the reason, hid his laugh at the continued dramatics and answered the unspoken question.

“Yeah, dude, they’re the stuff that didn't come out quite right. Not good enough to sell, y’know? But they're still just as edible as everything else, so they bring them up here to eat with meals.”

“Anything we don't eat with lunch or keep for dinner, we donate,” Marinette finished the explanation, standing from her barstool perch at the countertop table. 

“Is that where you get the macaroons for your class?” Karen gestures to the now empty macaron box sitting in the recycling can. The last of them had been taken by the girls, Nino content with his scones.

Marinette shook her head, swinging her bag over her shoulder. “Made those ones myself from our home supplies. I stopped letting Maman and Papa give me some from the bakery once I perfected the recipes myself. Still as good as my parents’, Nino?”

The boy gave her two thumbs up and a nod with a big smile. “Can’t even tell the difference, dudette.”

“Aw, sure you can, Major!” Kara exclaims, calling Nino by one of her music-based nicknames for him. “Can't you taste it? She puts  _ much _ more love into the baking she does for her friends.” 

There’s barely a beat before the group bursts into laughs and giggles at the claim, and Marinette covers her blushing embarrassment with her hands. However, she can't help but smile with a bit of appreciation and pride at the statement.

“Thank you, Kara, I’m glad you liked them. Come on guys, it’s a bit of a walk back to the lycée.” She sighs, and adds in lament, “I’m going to miss the days of walking to the collège; living right next door is a blessing I never savored.”

Nino nods in understanding, patting her back and staring at a chain of all the girls following suit in their own pats of comfort, bringing out a giggle from the now comforted girl. 

As everyone files out the door and heads down the stairs, Marinette holds the door and leaves last. “Head out the ground floor’s back door, the lunch rush is too busy to get through,” she reminds the group as they head down. Her phone chimes in her pocket as she descends the last of the steps, and she pulls the device out as she exits outside. 

“Félix?” Her brow scrunches in confusion and she frowns, pulling the attention of her friends.

“Adrien’s cousin?” Nino asks, stepping closer.

“The Luthor boy?” Babs voiced her own curiosity.

“You mean the Graham de Vanily heir?” Karen pitches in, a little more excited.

Kara breaks the chain of questioning the identity of Félix with a: “What did he say?”

“‘ _ Something doesn't seem right about today. Be careful. And just in case, keep that reporter’s contact open. Paris may need assistance. _ ’” Marinette read the message out loud, her confusion turning to worry.

“I've never gotten a message like this from him before. He never contacts me during school hours, either, even breaks. I wonder what’s wrong…” As she muses, she sends a simple return text: ‘ _ Will do. And you too, Fé. Let’s hope it’s nothing. _ ’

She doesn’t voice her reply before she puts the phone away, or the last one from Félix. 

‘ _ We shall see. _ ’

“That was… _ ominous _ ,” Babs voices skeptically as the group resumes their walk back towards the school. 

“He can get like that sometimes, it’s nothing to worry about,” Maritnette shrugs, trying to brush the new worry off everyone’s shoulders. As the only one of them who had been around him the most so far, she was the only one at the moment who could reassure them. And as such, she didn’t voice that Félix’s _hunches_ were usually right in some way or another. Yet she refused to worry anyone else any further, and kept the tidbit to herself.

Her efforts seem to work as the others seem to relax. All except Kara, looking pensive.

Marinette and Kara both drop to the back of their small group, a couple paces behind the other three who had struck up a new conversation about Nino’s hat and the girls’ preferences of headgear that didn't act difficult with their longer hair. 

“Rolling Penny for your thoughts?” Marinette jokes to the hero, who snorts at the play on words with their shared interest in music.

“Get me a Stone with Jagged edges and you can have your pick of thoughts for the rest of our lives.” Marinette laughs as she imagines handing over her only famous commissioner as a trade offering.

She shakes her head and chuckles, “No can do, that’s a free Stone, no keeping it like a pet rock. You'll have to settle for the Penny.”

Kara taps her chin in thought before snapping, smirking with a tease; “How ‘bout a nice crystal cluster instead? I hear Geodes are pretty  _ and  _ valuable.”

The teased girl snorts and shakes her head. “This crystal is already around you often enough. I’ll add in extra tarts to our next hang out, would you consider that payment enough?”

“It’ll do, for now,” was the joking return, and the two shared a laugh.

“But really, Kara, what is it? Is Félix’s text bothering you?”

A shrug, and then, “Well, yeah, I’m still a little wary around him, ya’know? His dad was still  _ Lex Luthor _ , and no hero, let alone any Kryptonian, could trust that man to be as far away from us as we could throw him; and trust me, we could have thrown him  _ far _ if we wanted to. And you say Félix says things like that  _ a lot _ ?? It sounds a lot like something similar to my original suspicions about  _ you _ .”

Marinette glances back up at Kara quizzically. “What suspicion in particular?”

“Well the whole ‘Kryptonite in your body’ thing isn't exactly a common thing. Seeing Félix at the same time I saw those crystals in you? Painted a really bad picture. Lex wasn't exactly against human experimentation.”

She recalled a few of the stories both Supergirl and Alya had told her about Lex Luthor, even a few of his family getting their hands dirty in the same villainous business, and factoring in the new information, Marinette understood a bit more about how easy it could be to have suspicions like this against people around the Luthor family. Not to mention the family itself.

“So, you think...Monsieur Luthor  _ did something _ to Félix?” She was a bit alarmed at the conclusion, worry coating her words and thoughts. 

“That, or he’s just a _ really _ observant guy. But! Now it’s  _ your turn _ not to worry about it!” Kara explains, her voice gaining a light cheerfulness and reassurance as she pulls Marinette against her side with one arm. “School is no time to fret over anything except making it to the last bell.”

Marinette laughs and leans into the side-hug, taking comfort in it. “Since when did you prefer school over thinking about all the potential future dangers you could be punching into the sun?”

“Since I had friends to hang out with,” was the returned quip, and an added, “And no more etiquette classes was a huge bonus, too.”

“They have  _ etiquette _ in America?”

“Nope, on Krypton, it was kinda a thing for me. Kal got lucky.” The Kryptonian scoffs. “But I have a feeling I'm going to dread being at my new home because I'll be suffering through it again,” she groans, nodding out towards the school they could now see down the street.

A glaringly obvious person decked out in all yellows, white and black was standing out front.

“Chloé? What did she do this time? Is this why she was glaring at you all morning?”

“Yep,” Kara scowls, “Publicity stunt from her dad, he offered to host the cousin of  _ world-renowned reporter _ Clark Kent during her stay in Paris.  _ Lady Bourgeois _ over there doesn't like my ‘ _ uncivilized, barbarian lifestyle _ ’,” she mocked with a sarcastic one-handed air quote and an eye-roll. 

“She’s a bit of a handful, I can agree with that,” Marinette smiled sympathetically, suppressing a laugh at the inaccurate jabs. “I’ll help you out if you want, I’ve dealt with her for enough years to gain a life-long tolerance.”

“I’ve got your number; I’ll call you if I need to. Or,” came the teasing tone, “I’ll just do it anyways; I could never get tired of talking with you.” 

With a laugh and an eye-roll of her own, Marinette stepped away from the other and picked up her pace to catch up with the rest of their group. “School first, we can figure out our new phone schedule later, if we even need one now that we share a timezone.”

“Touché, lil’ Butterfly, touché,” Kara concedes, catching up only a step behind.

The Parisian girl raises a brown, “Butterfly?” 

“Beautiful, always a step ahead, and always dodging around everything.”

“Dodging? Kara, I can't dodge anything for my life without warning first.”

The two laughed, and Kara nudged the other girl reassuringly. “Besides avoiding compliments you shouldn’t, I think you do just fine on your own.”

“Well, besides those embarrassing compliments, if there's anything I shouldn't be missing, warn me, okay? I’d hate to leave anything hanging.”

Kara gave a big sideways grin, her eyes hinted with wistfulness. “Sure, Geode, I’ll do that; at least for anything that doesn't want to wait for a perfect timing first.”

“Like?”

“The fact that we’re back at school and the warning bell just rang?”

“ _ AH!! Kara! Warn me next time! _ ”


	10. Opened Up.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day isn't over yet, and it's time for everyone to navigate a whole new experience. Is this a Supervillain on Paris' hands?

The rest of the school day had gone by in a blur, full or more reviews, more introductions of all new teachers, and more less than subtle energetic dares. Almost as soon as the last bell rang, the first day finally over, the courtyard outside the school was flooded with students. The majority of them were having their post-summer reunions with their friends. 

Marinette, Nino, Alya, Adrien, and Lila had fallen right into their usual grouping as they left the classroom, Kara tagging along behind the first two. The Parisian duo were excited to have their shared secret friend officially join their main circle, suspecting she would make quick friends out of not just them, but the rest of the class as well.

Lila started up a retelling of one of her summer travels, but only got a few sentences in before the building around them began to tremble, and the street beyond the courtyard sounded like it was starting to split apart. 

“Woah, I didn’t know Paris was due for an earthquake,” Alya mused as their group and others instinctively huddled a bit closer. Kara’s arms were instinctively on Nino and Marinete’s shoulders to keep them steady. 

“I don't think that's an earthquake,” Adrien replies breathlessly as he looks out towards the road. Kara’s grip tightens and the two can feel her tense as they all take in the white, red and blue glows emanating from the ground.

Alya rushes forward to a clearer view beyond the other students, steady on her feet despite the shaking ground. The rest of the group follows, and they hear her sucks in a breath, watching as she tenses. Those who know her see it for the excitement it is before words start pouring out. 

“Guys, I think it’s a _supervillain_ ,” she gasps out as she turns back to them, her eyes wide and full of newfound energy. Even Kara, who didn't know Alya as well as the others, could recognize the flame of a reporter ready to get out on the field. 

Her phone was out before anyone could respond. “I need to get footage, this is _so awesome_!” Then she was turning on her heel and dashing towards the road. 

“Alya, wait!” Adrien cried out in alarm, tripping as the ground trembled harder for a moment before Nino caught him. 

“Dude, we need to get somewhere safe, this could be dangerous.” The worry was clear in the musician's voice as he helped Adrien to his feet, staring off after Alya.

“But Nino, Alya could be in danger!”

“I know, I’ll go-”

He was cut off by Kara. “No, you guys stay put, I’ll go after Little Miss Camera over there; I’m used to this kind of thing, I’ll make sure she’s safe.”

“But Kara,” Marinette protested, equally worried for the grounded superhero as the reporter.

“I _got_ this, Buttercup, trust me; I wont do anything to make my cousin mad _and_ I’ll just make sure we both stay out of trouble. And you guys? Stay safe. I’ll text Karen and Babs make sure you're in a good place before they, uh, _do anything else_ .” Nino and Marinette both knew what she meant by _anything else_ , but they still couldn't help but want to stop Kara as she turned on her heel and ran after Alya faster than the first girl had taken off. 

The two shared a thought about going grain in the hair from having heroes for friends as they glanced at each other in distress. 

“She’s right you know,” Lila speaks up meekly, the concern and fright clear in her voice. “We should really get somewhere safe. I don't think any of our parents would be happy if we got hurt…” Adrien winced at that, him and the others already picturing how angered his father would be at Adrien’s friends if something really did happen. Not to mention how he would punish Adrien for it, even if it was purely an accident.

Marinette then gasped and looked back towards the road. “ _My parents!_ The bakery! I should get home to make sure they're okay!”

“Shoot, Chris, I was supposed to pick him up from school, the lil’ dude must be _terrified_ right now!”

“You two should really go check on your families then!” Lila looks at them both, mirroring their concern for their loved ones before turning it to Adrien. “We can go find somewhere to hide, I trust Nino and Marinette to be safe. We don’t want your father getting mad if you’re caught up in all this.”

Adrien’s hand was fiddling with the pin on his shirt as he looked at his friends with equal concern and worry. “I- Alright,” he concedes with a sigh. “But maybe we should split up first, more likely to find a good place separately. We can text each other if we find a good spot?”

Lila seems to pout, but nods quickly as the ground shakes in another hard burst, already looking ready to sprint for safety, Adrien in tow or not. 

The small group of four looks at one another, gaining confidence and determination from each other, ready for their tasks ahead. A second passes before they each turn away and head off, their paces varying from smooth runs to staggered jogs over the unsteady ground. 

Marinette was one of the unsteady ones, bumping into other panicked students and pedestrians as she made her way back home. It felt like an excruciatingly long time to get back to the bakery.

As she went, her eyes kept drifting to the glow on the streets. Oddly enough, she realized that they followed directly down the middle of the roads, and the cracks in the streets were those glowing sections rising up out of the ground. The main color she saw was white, but as she passed one of the major roads, the glows going down the emerging lines were blue. In the distance, she saw one of the highways glowing red. She also realized that the roofs of many of the buildings glowed with their own unique colors, too, her mind working as it picked out a pattern.

As her thoughts mulled over themselves, Marinette’s foot slid off the corner of the curb as she went too close, and she fell into one of the parked cars. The chain of her necklace caught on the side view mirror, pulling taunt as she went down sideways, failing to brace herself against the car. The chain snapped, and her shoulder hit the asphalt hard, her back glancing off the curb. 

She hisses in pain, but gasped as she watched the large locket hit the ground, snap open, and bounce under the car with a clatter. Sitting up quickly, ignoring her new scrapes, bruises, and likely ruined shirt, she reached under the car, pulling the open locket out from under it. 

It had opened diagonally along the main seam, and she realized it had been lined on the inside with the same velvet from her Kryptonite box to protect whatever had been inside. 

She glanced under the car once more, spotting a gleam of silver from behind one of the tires and reached for it. It felt like a smoothed, uneven stone, though it gave her the slightest shock of static as her fingers wrapped around it. It quickly warmed in her hand as she pulled it out, but she didn't spare it a glance as she slipped it back into the locket’s hold and shut it with a snap. She sighed in relief as it stayed closed, showing the lock had remained undamaged. 

She stood back up, making note to tell Kara about the locket and chain being damaged as she tucked them away in her pocket, and resumed her sprint back home. Though much more careful of the curbs this time. 

She finally made it back to the bakery, bursting in through the front door. “Papa, Maman!!” 

She found patrons and shelter seekers alike huddled inside. Her parents were making rounds to make sure everyone was alright, and securing anything loose from being shaken from their places, though the shaking had died down into only the slightest of tremors. Her parents turned to her in surprise as she came in and made her way to them, where they enveloped her in a hug. 

“Marinette!” They exclaimed together in relief, letting her go after a few moments. 

“I’m alright!” She reassured them before they could ask, smiling to them both. “I just came to make sure you both were okay in the bakery. I’ll go upstairs and make sure nothing has broken, you two can stay down here. I’ll come right back if the quakes get worse again.”

The two glance at each other before looking back to her, pride filled smiles overtaking their worried looks. No sooner than their shared nods did Marinette dash through the bakery and up into the housing of the building.

She was relieved to see most everything still in their general places. The home had been ‘Marinette-proofed’ for years enough, and a bit more recently ‘Supergirl-proofed’; it would take a lot more than a strange, glowing earthquake to knock everything over. She headed up to her room, flipping on her computer to the news as she went around righting the few things out of place. She took a moment to go up to the balcony, noticing the new perspective it gave her on what was happening.

The glows from atop buildings revealed themselves to be symbols, even her own balcony had a risen symbol glowing in it’s center. 

The pattern to the colors she saw finally clicked.

“A _map_ ,” she breathed out in awe, looking out over her city. Churches, shops, restaurants, schools; everything was marked with symbols and color indicators. The roads were all lined, the colors indicating the type of road, from major highways to minor backroads. 

She went back down into her room, glancing at the news on her screen as she pulled out her phone. Félix may have had an accurate feeling about today, and his mentioning of Clark was something to consider. 

Marinette paused as she opened her contacts, seeing for the first time a small black box painted with red sitting squarely on her desk.

Picking it up, certain that it hadn't been there earlier during lunch, she flipped it open, only to be greeted by a burst of red and white light.


	11. Even More Lights.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We check in on Kara and the free-range amateur journalist she followed.

Kara took off after Alya in the best controlled sprint she could muster. Pulling attention to herself with inhuman speeds would likely prove to be one of her worst decisions yet, for various reasons, if it happened, especially considering she wasn’t dressed as Supergirl.

Not that she even had it in the first place. No, Kal-El just  _ had _ to confiscate her suit,  _ to prevent temptation, _ he had claimed, and hidden it somewhere in the Fortress of Solitude where she couldn’t find it. So she kept it slow, yet quick enough to catch up to the amateur reporter by the end of the first block.

She also made sure to send a text to the group chat she had with Karen and Barbara as she ran.  _ ‘With Alya, a classmate, she’s pulling a Lois Lane. Just keeping her out of trouble, so don’t yell at me if you were thinking about it! Check on Adrien Agreste, Lila Rossi, Geode and DJ, before you try any investigation of what’s goin on. Told them you would make sure they're somewhere safe. Also heard DJ and Geode were headin to check on their families when I followed our new stray reporter. That's it, I’ll tell you if I figure anything out while I’m with Als, see ya guys from the ground if you show up’ _

“Ya know, Als,” she says in an exasperated drawl as she pulls up alongside Alya, phone now put away, “you really shouldn't be running head first into things like this. Maybe consider not making this a habit, yeah?”

Alya scoffs, the verbal reprimand not doing anything against the excitement on her face, or budging the currently recording phone into being put away. “You're here too, aren't you?”

Kara blinks at that, then grins herself. “True, but I’m not a reporter, and yet here I am, already knowing this vital information.”

“Too late now,” Alya clips back, but her tone is still full of glee and adrenaline that Kara suspects won't go away until the situation is either over, or something bad happens. She hopes for Alya’s sake nothing bad will happen; it would suck if her spark was put out too soon.

“Have any other tips for me, Metropolis Girl?” Alya continues, her phone’s camera now pointed at Kara. The other rolls her eyes, but decides she might as well entertain the request.

“Sure,” she replies, pointedly glancing forward with a tip of her head before stepping closer to scoop the other up. Alya secure in her arms, she jumps the glowing half-metre rise in the ground that Alya had been about to run into. “Keep your eyes where you're going. And two,” she adds, setting the still-learning journalist down, “always have back-up, a partner; someone to keep you from doing exactly what I just kept you from doing.”

“Woah,” Alya breathes out, a bit breathless from a mix of having just been carried and having also just learned a lesson. She really didn't want to end up face-planting anything any time soon. “I guess I have a lot to learn. You get that from your cousin?”

“Uh, yeah, you could say that,” Kara shrugs, looking back the way they came, awkwardly rubbing at her arm. Her hand drops and she looks back to Alya, a brow now raised. “So, I'm guessing I won't convince you to turn back, will I?”

“Nope!” Alya practically cheers her denial of the request. The costumeless hero holds back a sigh as she tacks on, “Say, since you seem to be here to keep an eye on me, care to help me in learning lesson number two and being by partner-in-crime?”

“ _ Crime _ ? No, but a _ temporary  _ partner in making sure you don't get knocked on your tush while you wave your phone around and aimlessly hope you catch sight of what’s causing all of this? Sure, why not; we’re already this far, no point in turning back. We’ll be safer keeping an eye out for places to hide than fully turning back, anyways. Let's go,” Kara finishes, grabbing hold of Alya’s wrist and getting them both started on running again. 

They continued to run together down the streets. Kara kept her gaze between looking ahead, to the path of their feet, and then above them for what she felt would be an inevitable collapsing building or two. Alya proved herself steady on her feat through the quakes, and a fast learner as she guided them both around more rises in the ground after hopping their third one. 

“This seems weird,” the blogger notes, brows furrowed together. “There’s no center to this, nothing to indicate where it all started. Look, News says it’s city-wide, too,” she tilted her screen towards Kara, who glanced over enough to notice the camera feature was still recording, but she was split-screening it to look at a live-feed from a News’ helicopter.

Kara pulled Alya under the awning of a building as they continued to watch the feed. There was no audio for the recording besides the reporter's voice-over, which was muted, replaced by subtitles. As she concentrated between the screen and their surroundings, Kara listened, and listened hard.

Sounds from all over the city came to her, and she focused on bits and pieces, one at a time while everything else became white noise. Most of it was generally the same: road-rage from the new physical barriers getting in the way; people calling out to their loved ones to get somewhere safe; frantic questions of what was happening. A particularly loud person kept repeating, “Where are they, where is it,” over and over, and it seemed particularly pronounced compared to everything else, almost making it hard to tune out. 

A certain voice caught her ear; gentle, full of comprehension. 

“ _ A  _ **_map_ ** _ … _ ”

_ Marinette _ , Kara recognized. She wondered why Marinette had said that, why her voice had been clear, as though she had been outside. _ Isn’t she with her family? _ Then she remembered the balcony, and it hit Kara that she must have been up there, looking over what she can see of the city from there. The images from the helicopter feed only solidified her thought.

The Kryptonian snapped her fingers, dropping her concentration and letting her hearing return to normal. “We need to get up higher, any ideas?” She asked as she grabbed Alya’s attention with her sudden new spur for the task at hand.

“There’s the Eiffel Tower, might take a bit to get to, though,” the amateur reporter mused.

“No,” the suitless hero automatically shot the suggestion down. “Takes too long to climb and a huge safety hazard to be around, not to mention  _ be on _ . Villains always target tall and important locations, so keep away and at a safe distance at all costs, got that? Good, and don't forget it; consider it a tip from my cousin if it helps it stick,” Kara stresses the point as the other nodded her confirmation, then looked around for any other options.

“What about-” the suggestion is interrupted by the honk of a horn, and both girls share twin frowns as they both recognize in displeasure the form of their interruption.

A sleek, short, black limo pulls up beside the pair, bearing the crest of the mayor’s office. The window rolls down to reveal Chloé Bourgeois, and the two girls outside it only continue to frown, to which the girl inside returns with an even greater scowl and tut.

“Get in,  _ Danvers _ ,” the aloof blonde tries to command, “I don’t want any negative PR for me, the hotel, or daddy from you getting caught causing trouble during some  _ incident _ if I can help it.”

Kara scowls back, about to retort a no with heavy sarcasm, when an alternative idea presents itself, and her expression morphs into a big smile with. “Sure thing,  _ Clo _ , the hotel is exactly where we need to be anyways! Come on, Als, let’s go for a ride!”

“ _ What? _ ” Echoes one cry in surprise, the other in outrage.

“No  _ way _ am I letting  _ Césaire _ into my car!”

“Seconded, no way am I getting in a car with  _ Chloé _ .”

“Why not?” Kara asks innocently, popping open the side door, Chloé jumping back from it like it had bitten her. “The choice is either lose me as your back-up,  _ Miss Journalist _ , and have to stay out of the field,  _ or _ , come with me, suffer a little bit of stuck-up,” she ignored the offended protesting cry of “ _ Hey! _ ”, “and in reward, get a safe and high enough vantage point on everything going on around us. 

“And  _ you _ ,” she turns to Chloé, sliding into the black leather seat, further prompting the other girl to back up against the opposite door, “Either put up with one extra passenger for a few minutes and be graced with us staying out of your manicured hair for the rest of the day,  _ or _ , find an article tomorrow that calls  _ you _ and your _ precious daddykins _ out on being terrible hosts that are horrible at keeping even your private guests safe from the ‘ _ terrors _ ‘ that currently plagues the city your dad is currently the  _ Mayor _ of. What do ya think of  _ that _ ,  _ princesse _ ?”

Kara’s smile was strong as ever, only sickly-sweet as it was aimed at the minor heiress. Chloé looked caught between looking worried for having just been threatened with a PR problem, and looking offended for having been threatened at all. It quickly turned to only being offended, the fear of threat brushed aside as she crossed her arms with a loud huff, and bodily tuned away.

“Fine, she can come! As long as you both stay away like you promised, and she doesn't touch anything that is clearly more expensive than her mother’s monthly salary!”

“Cool! Come on, Als, let’s go!” Kara noticed, as she made room for Alya on the seat and she climbed in, that the journalist looked stunned at having heard someone resist Chloé’s demands. 

“ _ Girl _ ,” the blogger hissed out in an awed whisper as she shut the door and the car drove off. “That was such a smooth comeback! You either have experience or you're just as done with ‘Chloé being Chloé’ as much I had been when I first met her, if not more.”

“Little of both,” Kara shrugged, smiling both smugly and sheepishly. “It’s a trick you learn as a reporter I guess, and from being around stuck-up people. Learn what they want so you can use it to your advantage. But also be willing to do things the hard way, because they won’t give you even an inch if they're not convinced you really will let yourself lose a lead purely to spite them and make them lose something of value, too.”

“With everything you know and who your cousin is, you plan to be a reporter, too?”

Kara only considered it for a second before shaking her head. “No way. Maybe as a side gig or a hobby, but that’s not really my cup o’ joe. Photojournalism is a maybe,” she amends, “but journalism still not really my thing. 

“Besides, I’m stuck in  _ Clark’s shadow _ enough, I prefer making my own path to going down all of his,” she states, feeling and looking a mix between determined, annoyed, and forlorn.

Alya didn't have much time to consider a followup response before the limo came to a stop and all three of the girls in the car perked up.

“We’re here! Now get out and stay out of my hair! Don't you  _ dare _ go running off anywhere, either, or I’ll have you moved into an old broom closet until you leave Paris!” Chloé was gone before either of them could respond, and they only shrugged to each other, grinning because it was really  _ Chloé _ out of  _ their _ hair, and left the car, heading inside.

“You’re a slowpoke,” Alya jabbed as she ran ahead, her phone reappearing in her hands. “I’m heading up to the roof on my own, I should be fine, right?”

Kara waved her off, “Yeah, yeah, go, I’ll see you up there! I should call Clark anyways; he wanted to know if anything interesting happens, and, well.”

“Guess this counts?” Alya teased as she slid into the waiting elevator.

Kara snorted, “Yeah, basically. Have fun, don't go falling in the pool or anything!” Alya laughing at the final ‘warning’ is what the elevator closes on.

Kara heads to the stairs, and a simple peek up the stairwell to see it clear has her running up the flights in a matter of a split second. She had to do  _ something _ to take the edge of the energy jitters she was getting from forcing herself to sit still among all the chaos, and using her powers where no one would see it was the best she could do for now.

As she walked down the hallway and slipped into the suite she would be calling home for a while, she pulled her phone back out to check the chat between herself, Barbara, and Karen.

First reply was from Babs. ‘ _ Tracked all their phones. Marinette is at the bakery, Nino at his brother’s school in one of their safe rooms, Lila is in one of ours, and so is Adrien. I think, anyways, his phone must have died after he got there, but I’m sure he’s fine without it for now, must be with others if he isn't bothering to charge it now. _ ’

Karen replied next. ‘ _ Doing scouting now, I won’t engage without back-up, though, but I'll let you know if I find anything! _ ’

No other messages than that, and the grounded hero sent a quick ‘ _ thanks, girls _ ’ in response. Her contacts were then opened, looking for Clark’s.

It was then that she noticed the black box sitting on the vanity, small and painted with red details. 

Curious, and ever the one to ‘ruin surprises’, she used her X-Ray vision on it, only for her brow to furrow when she realized that while the box was clearly only wood, the object inside wasn’t having it, only appearing as a solid silhouette to her eyes.

“What the-” 

She slid her phone away and snatched up the box, opening it up to a black ring and a flash of white and acid green light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo!! Let me know if you want Ch.12 to continue from here or check up on Marinette from Ch.10!


	12. Suit Up, Kitten.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author celebrates her Birthday by posting a chapter. Kara meets her Kwami and circumvents her grounding.

Kara was shocked, sure, but not taken completely by surprise. She spent enough time around Zee Zatara, _Zatanna_ , to know what something being magically conjured into existence looks like. That didn’t stop her from taking a step back though; she knew she wasn't invulnerable to magic, and not knowing what was appearing called for a level of caution.

Her eyes went wide and the hand that had tightened into an instinctive fist went slack as the light faded and the form finished taking shape in the open air. The other hand around the open box tightened as she stared at the creature, grounding and preventing her next instinctual reaction at the sight: a soft squeal of aww.

She clamped her jaw shut tight to further prevent the sound as the little purple-tinged black feline opened apple green eyes and a fanged cheshire grin spreading and opening to form words.

“Well well well, what do we have here? Sure, I expected someone different than usual, but this takes the fondue!” He exclaimed then circled Kara, and she kept still as her eyes followed the floating creatures movements. 

“What the-!” She couldn't help gasping after he disappeared behind her in another of his circles and felt the faintest of feelings in her chest for only a moment, like a string being pulled through from the back to the front, before he emerged in front of her. Out of the spot she had apparently felt him going through her. “ _Not_ cool! Don’t do that!” 

“Fine, fine,” he shrugged nonchalantly, “but now I know all I need to. This is going to be _fun_ ,” and the grin returned, almost feral now alongside the previous mischievousness.

Kara glared in suspicion at the little creature, finally setting aside her inner feeling of ‘ _aww, so cute_ ’ to focus on the problem at hand. In hand? She lifted the box back up and looked at the black ring inside, then back to the magical feline. “What do you mean, _fun_? What do you know?” 

The creature chuckled, “ _You_ aren't human; you may look like it on the outside, but the _inside_ tells a different story.”

She shuddered at realizing what he had been doing when going through her chest cavity. “Ew, yuck, gross, no, do not go checking things like that- Wait- So you know? You can tell?”

“ _Obviously_ ,” he drawled before looking away without explaining and started to zip around the semi-messy room like a hyper and curious cat. “Kid, you don’t happen to have any cheese, do you? Just a bite is fine; I hate to say it, but as much as I’d _love_ to sit down and eat a whole wheel, I actually seem to be looking forward to transforming for once. Seeing what you can do with my help should be interesting!”

“And what exactly _can_ you do, uh-?” Her skepticism fell flat when she realized she didn't know his name. She followed after the tiny creature as it left the bedroom and watched him sniff out the mini-fridge set up next to the television of the suite’s living room. He popped the door open with a cry of victory and dove in, coming back out with her string cheese and taking a bite out of it.

“Call me _Plagg_ , Kwami of Destruction, source of power for the Black Cat Miraculous you’re holding.” He seemed to raise an eyebrow at Kara as she looked down at the ring in the box, brushing a finger over the apple green paw print on the center. “Well? Put it on already!”

She hesitantly took the ring from the box, tossing the empty container to the side. Another glance at the waiting Kwami and she slid it on. Her eyes went wide as the ring turned a weathered gold, the shape turning to that of a signet ring. The shape of the seal was close to that of the one her and her cousin both wore as heroes: the Crest for the House of El. It was still different, though: not the usual stylized S, but rather, now the two ends of the S were reconnected into the original sideways infinity symbol. The S itself was still the prominent, though. 

Kara looks back at Plagg and the smug look he wore. “Neat, huh?”

“Yeah…” She hesitates before continuing to ask her new question. “What, exactly, is a Kwami?”

“Oh you know, just like any old gods, deities, incarnations and embodiments; whatever you want to compare us to. Basically forces of nature, concepts, and magic that, when tired to Miraculous, can have our powers channeled through other beings to do good. Well, good is _supposed_ to be what we’re used for,” he adds with a glare out the window to the glowing streets.

“And that?” she wonders, noticing his stare.

“Yep, caused by the powers of one. You and the Ladybug Wielder are being called in to help recover one that's been used for evil. The Miraculous and the Kwami with it basically sent out a distress call when they were commanded to go against what we’re meant for.” 

Plagg looked sad as he said it, and Kara couldn't help but reach out in sympathy and give him a gentle pat on the head between the ears. It shook him out of it and he focused back on her. 

“Say ‘Plagg, Transform Me’ to pull me into the ring and suit up. The faster we get this over with, the sooner I can find myself a better cheese selection!”

“Wait, you said Ladybug Wielder, I get a partner?” She wasn't confused by it, having partners was normal for her, but the superhero in her wanted to make sure she didn't make a big mistake in misidentifying an ally.

“Yeah,” the Kwami confirmed, “the Creation to my Destruction, the symbol of Good Luck to my symbol of Bad Luck. The Ladybug to your Black Cat is out there and you two should be meeting each other soon, preferably before anything else so you can start working together.”

“How will I know who they are? Will they be easy to spot?”

Plagg cackled like a friend had just whispered an inside joke into his ear. “Oh yeah, _very_ spottable.”

She raised a skeptical brow before shrugging it off. Instead of dwelling, she grinned and looked back out towards the chaos outside. Feeling ready, she called as instructed, “ _Plagg, Transform Me!_ ”

The black, green, and white magic washed over her effortlessly, and just like other times friendly magic had been used on her, she felt almost nothing at all except the new weight of her costume settling itself. She did note her center of gravity had shifted, and wondered about the physical changes she may have gotten as well. One presented itself as she glanced through the doors to her bedroom, at her reflection in the full length mirror, and instead of a pleased and satisfied hum, there was a _purr_ in its place.

Her new outfit really was satisfying to her tastes. It had an overall military uniform look to it with a formal flare. The top was mainly black and asymmetrical, a line of silver buttons going down one side, the collar straight with a line of green all around the edges. The sleeves ended in long, folded back cuffs at the wrists, also adorned with green trim and silver clasps. Clawed black gloves covered her hands, another tripping of green wrapping around her wrists. The black pants were complying to the formal look, complete with neat creases down the centers, but still had functionality with cargo-style pockets on the thighs. The shoes were heavy black combat boots, laced with overlapping green and silver ties. A sash wrapped around her waist, looking black but shimmered green underneath; one end fell loose behind her, swaying like a tail of its own accord; a silver baton stuck out where it was all tied together. The mask over her eyes, comfortable despite not being used to one, matched the tail in color: black with an underlying green sheen, except for the solid black that fell from her eyes like the tear marks of a cheetah. The feline ears atop her head, nestled into a new side swept undercut style, were solid black but for the green edging. The acidic green slit eyes were unsettling at first glance, but they pupils went wide and outright dorky as she looked herself over.

Her favorite part, however, had to be the cape. It was a one shoulder cape, draped over one arm in neat folds, the opposite side longer than the other as it fell behind her. The exposed shoulder had part of the cape attached to it, held by a black clasp with a silver crescent, but revealed a triple layer of silver shoulder plating. The opposite shoulder with the cape draped over it had a larger silver clasp holding it in place, but it was more like an emblem with its large black crescent moon encasing a green paw print. A few green straps held the shoulder pieces in place, from across her shoulders and down and around her torso.

“I’ll need a new name with the new look,” she muses. Her thoughts run quickly over far too many cliche names and ones already taken, before settling on one.

“ _Oncilla_.”

She turns away from the mirror and laughs to herself, “I have never been this happy to get around a grounding so easily,” before going straight to the balcony doors, throwing them open, and launching herself into the open air with a whooping holler, more than happy to be back in the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost did this chapter as both Kara's and Marinette's Kwami meetings, but decided to treat myself and post only the first half and not stress trying to do the second half at the same time. Recovery from writers block must be taken one step at a time!  
> Also!!! Friend from MariBat Discord Server did art of Oncilla!! Check it!! [ https://myvividreams.tumblr.com/post/616558640784080896/oncilla-for-silverwhiteravens-karanette-au ]


	13. Into the Frey.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette meets her own Kwami! It takes a moment, but the ball finally gets rolling for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see!! Please excuse my absence, I have troubles with motivation, inspiration, energy, and executive functions in general. I hope the wait was worth it.

Marinette immediately dropped the small box with a yelp, stumbling back and tripping on her own feet, thankfully landing squarely into her desk chair. Unfortunately, it almost flipped backwards as it rolled back and one of the legs caught on the beam post holding her bed’s loft up. She grabbed tight to the post to hold herself and her chair steady, her eyes locking onto the dimming light and the form appearing from it.

She couldn’t help the “ _Ack, alien!_ ” that escaped her at the sight of the little red creature with antennae and big eyes, nor the “ _Fairy!_ ” a split second later when she realized it was floating and definitely appeared by magical means.

Marinette wasn’t particularly proud either of the “ _Alien-Fairy!!_ ” said after she connected that it was both magical _and_ had antennae.

By now, she was up out of her now toppled chair, a death-grip still on the wooden beam that she now had between her and the Alien-Fairy like it could somehow shield her from it. She was still peeking out from around it, though, as she hadn't broken eye-contact with the little floating form since it appeared.

Speaking of, it let out a little huff of exaggerated breath, and Marinette was quite certain it was giving her a weary and exasperated look of _‘Really?’_

“You're one to talk,” it said in its feminine voice, but the retort went over Marinette’s head as it flew closer, too fast for Marinette’s comfort, and the Parisian stumbled back with a slightly panicked “ _Ah!_ ” As she pulled away from the beam in her panic, her hands caught on her dangling decorative string of miniature paper kites, and she haphazardly threw the decoration at the creature. The decoration fluttered to the ground, posing no threat to the Alien-Fairy. Besides the weariness, the creature just looked confused and worried now. “You really aren’t taking this very well are you..?”

At that, a nervous laugh escaped past Marinette’s alarm. “Of course not! What- Who are you! Why are you here!?”

The little creature seems to straighten at attention to the questions, almost prepared for them. 

“I am Tikki, Kwami of Creation, tied to the Ladybug Miraculous you so carelessly dropped! I’m here because of that,” Tikki added, body turned sideways so she could wave an arm out the closest window. Marinette instinctually steps closer, just to change a glance outside. Calm, but unsettling. 

As Tikki then proceeded to fly down and retrieve the earrings from the box, she continued with her explanation, before Marinette could interrupt.

“These earrings are the Miraculous of the Ladybug, the conduit for my powers when they are needed in the hands of another. The situation outside is caused by the misuse of another Miraculous, and we need to undo the product of its misuse, retrieve it, and return it and its Kwami home. I’m here because you are seen as a person well suited to handle the situation with the given limitations, and morally worthy of the task.”

Marinette was foundering, mouth gaping like a fish as she tried to process. “You- They’re- It- _Huh??_ _Me?_ ” The Kwami nods vigorously. “But- But I’m just-!”

“Quick witted?” Tikki interrupted, eyes wide and imploring, almost seeming to beg Marinette not to say anything bad. “Fast on your feet? Up to a challenge? Creative? A thinker outside the box? Able to recognize right from wrong and the in-betweens? Able to work well with a partner?”

“Partner?” Of all the things to catch from that rapidfire of traits, it was that. Marinette felt almost relieved, not having realized that despite not having even accepted the task, she was worried she would be alone in doing it.

“Yes, a partner! You will work with one other, the holder of the Black Cat Miraculous, my counterpart!” Tikki explained excitedly, flitting around in a happy little circle.

Marinette’s mind continued to process and come to a realization. “ _Destruction?_ ” Somehow, that felt so much more worrying than before. Partner? Cool! Destructive partner? Maybe not so cool.

“Exactly!” Tikki confirmed, not seeing the problem. “You connect those dots very fast, I’m proud! I can't wait to get out there and-”

“ _Wait!!_ ” the panicked teen interrupted. “I can’t just- go out there! Even if I'm not alone, I’m not ready! I’m not- I- I don’t think I want to do this…” She tapered off, staring into the Kwami’s sad eyes. For being so cute and small, Tikki helt too much depth in those eyes.

“We weren’t ready either,” Tikki says softly, mournfully. “But,” she continued, lightness returning to her voice, and hope to her eyes as she floated closer, “we are prepared. We planned the best we could with what we had. You are who we wanted to wield my powers. I am prepared to help you the best I can. If, of course, if you are willing to accept. I cannot force you. I can find another worthy to use the Ladybug, I just hope it will be in time, and that they’re as compatible with the Black Cat as you.”

As Tikki lowers in the air and settles onto Marinette’s desk, the Parisian blinks at her, processing once more. The Kwami blinks back, patient. Marinette slowly stepped over to her chaise and mirrored the Kwami, sitting. She glanced once more to the window. “So,” she said aimlessly, not sure what to say.

Tikki nodded for her to continue, waiting.

“You kept saying ‘we’, do you mean your counterpart? And what do you mean, compatible?”

“Yes, the Kwami of Destruction helped, but he isn't the only one. I hope to tell you more, but now is not the time, especially since…”

“Haven't accepted the responsibility?” Tikki nodded, looking regretful, and Marinette shook her head, “I know a thing or two about secrets, don’t worry about telling me what I shouldn't know yet. I...I trust you to say what’s needed, and truthfully.”

The Kwami smiled at her, eyes glistening. “Thank you. And by compatible, I mean that you will interact well together, and that your ability to act as partners will develop more easily than any random pairing. On your own and with our powers to add, you’re each formidable, but together, you can be unstoppable. Hopefully, it means you can help us save the lost Miraculous.”

“What, exactly, are your powers? I mean- you say you’re prepared, but _I’m_ not,” she emphasized by waving at herself widely. “I barely know anything, I’ve never tried to fight supervillains! Bullies, bad teachers, the patriarchy, yes to all! But, whatever out there that’s turning Paris upside down? I have nothing going for me…”

“You have who you are, and that’s what Paris needs,” Tikki reassured. “You have me, too, and your partner. Now, the powers,” she moves on. “My power is to create anything, with a hint of luck. What’s needed, but not always preferred. You can work through each one, I believe in you. The Black Cat’s destruction destroys what is touched, with a hint of luck as well. It can be small or big, anything from a simple bending out of shape to turning to dust, whatever is needed, though again, may not be preferred. You and your partner have to be careful with both. Lucky Charms, the Ladybug power, can be stolen, and Cataclysm, the Black Cat’s, can be redirected.”

Marinette nods, taking it all in. the powers were doable, but not reassuring to the pending decision.

“Cataclysm can get really big and devastating, so it’s best used only through a weider. Lucky Charm is harmless outside of battles, so it never gets used outside of wielders either. However, mine can have large effects as well. A Lucky Charm is the medium form of my creation ability; it can be given up with a call of ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ to recreate and repair all that has been lost in battle and whatever caused said battle. That is the largest form.”

Marinette gulped, imagining that if restoration of a whole city was the largest form of the Ladybug’s powers, the Black Cat’s must be to destroy a whole city. “And the smallest?”

“Contained within the weapon you’ll have,” Tikki nods. “Small things can be restored without sacrificing a Charm. In this case, it will be the corrupted butterflies. That’s the power of the abused Miraculous,” the Kwami clarifies before the girl can ask. “Butterflies infused with magic that forges a connection between the wielder of the Butterfly Miraculous and their Champion. We call them and the dark butterflies Akumas when they are filled with dark magic. This connection gives Champions powers related to their desires, and freeing the butterfly from the object it infuses with breaks the connection and takes their powers.”

Marinette nods more, but her head is almost spinning with all the information. It was a lot to take it. But still… “All of this, it’s so dangerous… It can’t be safe, especially not in the front lines,” she worries.

“Oh! When you transform using a Miraculous, you are gifted with extra speed, strength, and protection, all provided by the suit you will dawn! Anything any normal human would need, and something anyone already gifted so would consider as a bonus. You have nothing to worry about there!”

Marinette sighed and slumped, finally properly reassured somewhat. She sat back up, however, and stood. Tikki looked at her questioningly, and the teen looked away. “I- I need to think, I’ll be right back, I promise,” she says as she makes her way to her trap door.

Tikki nods, though she looked anxious as she looked out the window once more as she waited.

Marinette paced the floor below her room stairs to couch, couch to stairs, repeat, repeat. Hands endlessly fidgeting, gripping together, to the hem of her shirt, to her hair, or simply tapping away at her arm and chin. She knew she was taking a while to decide, considering the circumstances. It may have only been a few minutes, but it was an eternity for something so important.

And it was important! She knew someone out there would yell at her to _hurry up, there are people out there who need you, who need the Ladybug!_

But this wasn’t a light decision, this was not something she should rush into. She could make a mistake big time if her head and heart weren’t set on the task, if she wasn’t ready.

Like taking on a new project, she knew she had to plan, she had to dedicate herself to it wholly before she could make a move. Nothing could be made by just grabbing and going blindly. 

Like for sewing, she had to pick her fabrics, her colors, her patterns and threads. Had to make sure her machine was clean and oiled. Or that she had enough buttons, hooks, and zippers. It wasn’t so bad if the project was for herself, if she could afford to cut the wrong cloth or mess up a stitch. 

But if it was for someone else? Be it made by her from her own supplies or handed to her by something they chose out themselves or needed fixed? The wrong measurement, the wrong pattern, the wrong material, or one wrong move could ruin the entire thing, and not all mistakes were undoable. 

But that was sewing. That was inconvenient to make mistakes on, frustrating to have gone wrong. But it was minor, easier to avoid making mistakes with, and something a profuse apology, some communication, and a do-over or two could make right. 

This new thing, however? This was heroism, she realized. This was people’s lives. This was a responsibility that couldn't be brushed off when something goes wrong. This was where mistakes, once made, were a lifetime commitment to burden, even after it was all over.

Her hands finally rested on clutching to her pendant. Her fingertips traced the patterns in its surface. 

_Kara does this every day_ , she thought to herself. _She uses her abilities for her home, her friends, her family. She isn’t alone, either, she has support. As Supergirl, she inspires so many… She inspired me, too._

Marinette ponders as she subconsciously raises the pendant to her lips, eyes staring back up towards her room, where Tikki and her earrings sat, _Maybe I can try this, too._

Mind made up, she rushed up the steps and right to Tikki. 

“I’ll do it,” she blurted out, anxious, nervous. The Kwami gasped and flew into the air. “On one condition!” the girl quickly added, and Tikki nodded enthusiastically, already dropping the earrings into her now open hands. “If I fail, if I mess up, and I can’t make up for it, you take these back, okay?” 

More nodding, “Of course! Thank you so much, my Ladybug~!”

“Please,” the nervous teen says as she puts the now black studs in, “call me Marinette.”

“To transform, say ‘Tikki, Transform Me!’ I won’t be available to talk to you when transformed, as I'll be residing within the Miraculous to provide it power. You’ll find a yo-yo on you, it’s your main tool and weapon. Trust your instincts, you’ll know how to use it when the times come to need it.”

With a final nod and a deep breath, Marinette calls, “ _Tikki, Transform Me!_ ”

The flash of white and red light was surprising, but she’s quick to blink it away and step up to her mirror to see what changed.

A red mask with ladybug spots covered around her eyes. Her hair was tied into twin braids that poked out from a black and white eye-spotted hood, resembling the head of a ladybug. The hood was part of a red crop-top hoodie. The ladybug motif zipper was partly down, showing the top of a black bodysuit that went up her neck. Pockets adorned each side of the hoodie. The sleeves of the hoodie though, she marveled at for a moment. The material was loose and transparent, but shimmered iridescent like the wings of an insect. They ended at her wrist snugly with a red band, her hands revealed to be covered by black palmed gloves with white fingers. Under the sleeve, the bodysuit clearly sat snug against her skin, all the way from shoulder to hands. It covered her abdomen, too, and all the way to her feet as well. She wore loose pants, sweatpants really, comfortable and practical for physical activity, though no pockets. Her shoes, classic ballet flats, were red as well, the soles white. Red ties wrapped around her ankle and calf, keeping the bottoms of the pants secure. A quick glance at her back revealed five spits decorating it like an emblem, split down the middle by a line, like a real ladybug’s shell would be.

And as Tikki had said, a yo-yo sat secured around her hip. 

To wipe away the last of her doubts, Marinette took a seam pick from her desk, and gently tried to work it into the transparent sleeve of her hoodie. It was more than worth it to pull it away and see it dull, the material unmarred.

She chanced one more look into the mirror, happy to see she liked the suit, both in design and practical use. 

“A Ladybug, huh?” she murmured to herself.

With a nod, she made her way up to her loft, and out into the open air. The yo-yo came free easily, and with a toss and tentatively tug to see if it would do what she imagined it would, she was off. She would never admit she had a momentary scream of alarm when it worked and she wasn't ready. 

Well, at least she was prepared. 


	14. The Cat and Bug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two heroes meet. They also meet their first Akuma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back~! Hi!!

Marinette was falling.

Well, falling as much one could when holding on for dear life to one end of a magical yo-yo that acted as its own weird grappler mixed with a trapeze. Neither of which she had ever used in her life. 

First time for everything she supposed, though she also hoped this wouldn’t end with lasts, either.

Speaking of firsts being lasts, she realized her latest upswing was about to turn into a crash course collision with a black clad figure floating in the open air. As she yelled a terrified “ **_Look out!!_ ** ” at the person she didn't know was friend or foe, she really did wish this would be her one and only time her bad aim with a yo-yo ever turned into this situation. She really doubted it, though, but a girl can dream.

She barely saw a flash of blonde hair and green,  _ green _ eyes turn towards her in shock before they slammed into each other, and fell several meters to a high rooftop below with mutual ‘ _ oofs _ ’ and wire wrapped around them. They rolled to a stop, Marinette resting awkwardly atop the other who had her back to the roof.

“I am so so sorry!” Marinette immediately apologized as soon as breath was back in her lungs. “I’m really new at this, I-” She was interrupted and silenced a moment later by a laugh and green,  _ feline _ eyes looking into her own from below. 

“Don’t worry about it, little lady,” the girl clad in black soothed reassuringly, her French accented. “I know a thing or two about knocking everything over when you first start out. I’d make a great practice dummy if you ever need it. Now, let's get out of this- uh…” She looked down, confused, at the string around them as she gave her arms a tug. “Wow, this stuff is stronger than I thought.”

Marinette could just feel the yo-yo string staying firmly tight with every tug, and realized she still had one end of it in her hand. “Oh! Let me just-” One tug, and the yo-yo came zipping around them and back into her hand. She was up in an instant, backing up with a flush of embarrassment on her face. “S-sorry, again, I’ll get better at this soon.”

The other girl just grinned, revealing pointed canines as she stood up as well. “Take your time, I can carry us both for as long as we need until you’re ready.”

A distant rumble caught their attention, and the blonde girl went tense and turned back to Marinette.

“Let’s make these introductions quick. I’m Oncilla the Black Cat,” The girl in black said, a hand over her heart and the other behind her back, taking a rather formal looking bow. “You must be the Ladybug I was told to expect?”

Marinette gaped like a fish for a moment before nodding quickly. “Oh, yes! Ladybug, yeah, you can call me that, not many other options with this costume, huh?” She joked nervously with a glance at her red and black-spotted hoodie.

“It suits you, Buggy,” Oncilla said with a grin, then walked over to the edge of the roof towards where the noise was coming from. Marinette- Ladybug- followed, fidgeting the yo-yo in her hand. “We should get going,” Oncilla added, squinting into the distance. “If there's anything I know, it’s that the damage only gets worse with time.”

“Experienced?” Ladybug asked, looking out over the edge nervously. 

“Very. You?”

Ladybug laughed nervously once more. “Only with classroom bullies. This is…”

“Bigger, yeah. But think of it this way,” Oncilla turned to Ladybug and set a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “In a classroom, you're both on equal footing. Out here with villains? The field is bigger, but being Ladybug means your footing is the same, too. And you know what else you have that they don’t?”

“What?” Ladybug asked curiously.

“Back-up,” Oncilla said confidently through a big grin. “Bullies never have many friends, and villains are nothing more than slightly bigger bullies with even bigger heroes to oppose them. Trust me, your Ladyship,  _ we got this. _ ”

Ladybug’s shoulders relaxed, and a grateful smile spread on her face. “Thank you. Having friends to back you up is always a good choice. Glad to have you as one of mine.”

Oncilla beamed at her. “Let’s head off. I can fly, but since you can’t, I'll stick with you. I've learned my lesson with going in head-first without my team, I won’t be teaching that to you on our first day together.”

“I appreciate it, considering I’m still not used to this yet at all,” Ladybug showed the yo-yo in her hand. “Catch me if I fall again? I don’t think ladybugs land on their feet…”

“‘Course,” Oncilla answered, then pulled a silver staff from behind her back. Not only did she plan to stay by Ladybug, she also seemed to be planning to forego flying so she could keep the same pace. Ladybug appreciated the gesture, and with a toss of her yo-yo and a step off the edge, she was off towards her first ever in-person super-villain, partner close behind.

Their travel wasn't long, though it felt like forever to the poor Ladybug, who was holding any more panicked yells from escaping. She  _ really _ hoped she would get used to this soon, she really did. 

They found their villain near the Eiffel Tower, the large monument clearly being the Akuma’s goal. 

“They're trying to get a higher vantage point,” Oncilla fills in as Ladybug notices the Akuma was only floating so high off the ground. One of the Black Cat hero’s feline ears was flicking, cluing the other into Oncilla’s enhanced hearing as well. 

As Ladybug turned back to look at the villain, squinting at them, she could have sworn for just a second she heard the Akuma muttering to themself. Maybe she got her hearing enhanced, too, just not as much? She supposed it went along with the themes, really.

“So how do you usually handle this kind of thing?” Ladybug questioned without moving her eyes from the target. She also kept them moving closer, though slower to keep from rushing or alerting the Akuma.

“Observe, strategize, attack, and don’t ever hesitate. Waiting is only good if it lets you get information, otherwise that’s just stalling, and stalling is bad if you don’t want extra collateral damage.” Oncilla was clearly concentrating well on the situation, looking and sounding perfectly in her element. Ladybug felt out of place, but she still held to the hope that she could fill her new role without any classic Marinette-clumsiness getting in the way.

“Observe…” Ladybug mused. “I saw earlier from my own, uh, high places, that all the glowing street parts popping up are a big, connecting map. The roofs of some buildings are even getting marked with icons.”

“Oh, I noticed that too, a... friend pointed it out to me,” Oncilla nodded. “But why turn the whole city into a giant map?”

Ladybug shrugged. “Maybe they got lost, couldn't find a place to ask directions?” She tapped her chin, thinking more. “I also saw a few odd things while I was swinging around. A few miscellaneous places had markers on them, almost like pins in a personal map rather than existing landmarks. They could be caused by the Akuma’s personal interests in those places?”

“Sounds reasonable. But in that case, they already know the layout of the city. Again, why a  _ map _ ? Maybe...”

“They're tracking something?” Ladybug filled in.

“Exactly!” Oncilla snapped and smiled at her. “Maybe a bit more like a GPS system. Or a treasure hunt. They don't know where the thing they're looking for is, but they know it’s going to be marked on the map. So, they need to get somewhere to be able to see the map best.”

“Like a really tall tower in the middle of a lot of shorter buildings,” Ladybug finished, then looked onward, past the Akuma, to the Tower itself.

“Let’s intercept them at the base,” she suggested, “If we can't stop them there, we can at least follow them up and see where they go from there.”

“Smart,” the other replied. “Let’s go.” And with that, Oncilla was running and pole vaulting towards the Tower, skirting far around the Akuma to avoid notice, Ladybug close behind with her yo-yo. 

The two heroes got to the base of the Eiffel Tower before the Akuma did, though not by long. However, the Akuma seemed not to notice them, eyes locked on the upper levels. That is, until a violet glow ringed their mask, and their eyes snapped downward to the duo, before their previously pensive expression warped into a cold sneer.

“The Ladybeetle and Black Cat! You finally arrived!” The Akuma spoke loudly, impatience thick in their tone. 

The two dropped into defensive stances at the recognition, Ladybug’s more sloppy and unpracticed than Oncilla’s. Ladybug thought to herself that she should really take more fencing classes as Marinette. Maybe Kara and her friends could assist, too?  _ Not the time to think about this!  _ She self reprimanded, turning her focus back to the villain.

“What  _ about _ us?” Oncilla taunted, bringing the focus of the Akuma to her.

“I am Atlas, and in exchange for your Miraculous, I shall be able to find what I have lost with the gift I have been granted. So hand them over.”

“Yeah, no,” the Black Cat wielder continued, “These aren't  _ toys _ to trade like Halloween candy. We keep them, and you get lost.”

"No! Give me your Miraculous and get out of my way so I can get back to finding my things!" The Akuma bellowed at the heroes.

"I'm sorry Atlas, but we really can't do that," Ladybug chimed in, looking conflicted. She wasn't used to this, it was only her first time as a hero, let alone negotiating with a super-villain or a possessed civilian. Yet, there was something here she did know how to do. 

"But!" She interrupts the Akuma as their face contorts into a deeper scowl, their body crouched and coiled, ready to jump at them. "But, maybe we can help?"

"Help?" Atlas became confused, and the butterfly-shaped glow returned. They waved it away with a shake of their head, "Quiet, Hawk Moth, maybe she can help you with this, too."

"Yeah- Yes! I can try to help, what is it you lost, maybe we can look for it." She glanced back to the other hero, making sure she was on board. Oncilla shrugged, relaxing from her previous stance and restraining herself from jumping right into fighting.

The Akuma looked thoughtful before answering.

"Well, at first, I just lost my pens,” the Akuma recalled aloud. “But then..." Their expression contorted in pain as they remembered their moments that led to their Akumatization. 

"I lost a lot, actually," they amended. "Today was rough, a lot went bad. I just wanted to relax and work on my calligraphy when I was finally home. But I couldn't find my pens, or my backups... God, I found my _ good paper  _ with _ spilled ink! _ " Their voice rose again, the anger and frustration growing and radiating from them like a toxin. Ladybug kept herself from recoiling and held herself as steady as she could, listening.

"I'm probably the one who spilled it when I left this morning, hell, I probably forgot my pens in the locker when I emptied it, or on the subway like a freaking  _ idiot _ . I keep doing things like this, _ losing everything _ . I can't keep anything straight, I can't remember anything right, _ I can't  _ **_do_ ** _ what's expected of me! _ " Tears streamed down their cheeks now, and their cries had risen to a yell.

"I need everything mapped out for me because I'm useless without that!! So just,  _ HELP ME _ , or  _ GIVE UP _ and  _ GIVE ME THE MIRACULOUS!! _ "

The butterfly glow returned, and only a split second of unheard prompting had the sorrowful and angered Atlas attacking the heroes off-guard.

The two heroes jumped apart, dodging the first attack. Oncilla was quick to engage Atlas in close combat while Ladybug recovered herself. 

The fight moved away from the newer hero, and in an attempt to get herself closer, tossed her yo-yo into the beams of the Tower. It stuck and pulled her up, but she failed to get it back down, and ended up hanging from the string a few meters in the air. Looking around to see if there was anywhere for her to safely fall to, she realized, even if it wasn't much, she could see things better than from the ground.

“Oncilla!” Ladybug called out, and saw the other hero’s feline ears twitch towards her in acknowledgment. “I need to get higher, I have an idea! Can you handle them for a minute more?”

“Of course!” came the response. “Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, I  _ got _ this! Go!”

With a quick, hard tug, and another throw of the yo-yo as she fell, Ladybug was heading up the Eiffel Tower. 

As she swung to the peak, she called out, “ _ Lucky Charm! _ ”


End file.
